Toyota eyes mass production of fuel cell car by 2015

Japanese carmaker Toyota will start commercial sales of fuel cell-powered cars by 2015.

Toyota set the target as it introduced a concept fuel cell-powered car, called the FCV, at the Tokyo Motor Show. Its cells can be recharged within minutes and it can cover about 500 km (300 miles) on a single charge, according to the firm.

Earlier this week, rival Hyundai said it plans to start mass production of such cars as early as next year.

Eco-friendly cars have been been the buzzword in the auto industry for some time now. And within that space, fuel cell-powered vehicles are turning out to be the flavour of the season.

Car makers have been showing off the progress they have made in the area. The trick, of course, is how soon companies can take their concept cars from the motor show floors, to showrooms and subsequently to garages at homes.

Toyota and Hyundai aim to do this within the next year or two. But as we have seen with electric cars in the past, it is easier said than done. There are already concerns about a lack of hydrogen filling stations.

And an equally big challenge will be producing them cheaply enough to keep them affordable for buyers. None of the car makers have officially revealed the prices as yet, though some reports indicate that Toyota's FCV may cost between $50,000 and $100,000 (£31,000 to £62,000).

The South Korean company plans to start commercial sales of a fuel cell-powered version of its sports utility vehicle, the Tucson, in the US market. Honda Motor is also expected to unveil its latest concept version of a fuel cell-powered vehicle later this week.

BBC