It is no secret that Toyota has been working on fuel cell for quite some time now, for over 20 years to be precise. The company is now ready with another product, which was first unveiled as a concept at the Tokyo Motor Show last year. Toyota revealed the exterior design and Japan pricing of its hydrogen fuel cell sedan, which will launch in Japan before April, 2015. The Japanese auto-major is also preparing to launch the car in the U.S. and European markets in the summer of 2015.
It will be accompanied with a price tag of approximately 7 million yen (MSRP; excludes consumption tax), and will be offered for sale at Toyota and Toyopet dealerships in Japan. However, the sales will initially be limited to regions where hydrogen refueling infrastructure is being developed. That said, the prices for U.S. and Europe have not been decided yet. Also, more details, including specifications, exact prices and sales targets, will be announced later.
Hydrogen is a particularly promising alternative fuel since it can be produced using a wide variety of primary energy sources, including solar and wind power. When compressed, it has a higher energy density than batteries and is easier to store and transport. Delving further into Toyota's fuel cell system, it includes a proprietary FC Stack that generates electricity from the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, and high-pressure hydrogen tanks.
Toyota's fuel cell sedan's performance is similar to a petrol engine vehicle, and offers a range of approximately 700 km (according to Toyota measurements taken under the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's JC08 test cycle) and a refueling time of roughly three minutes. When driven, it emits only the water vapor produced by the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.
