Toyota has announced its first commercial hydrogen fuel cell car, a sedan based on the concept unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. Priced at approximately 7 million yen ($68,664) in Japan, the car is an obvious rival for Tesla’s Model S, which starts at $69,000.
According to Toyota, the yet-unnamed FC sedan has a cruising range of approximately 700 km (435 miles) and a refueling time of roughly three minutes. The company says the car will only emit water vapor produced by the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen when driven.
The range and the refueling time both have advantages over Tesla. The Model S range is advertised at 265 miles, while the recharging time is a little more than 9 hours on a 240-volt outlet (around one hour on a supercharger station). However, it will be hard for Toyota to catch up with Tesla’s fast-growing refueling network.
Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell sedan car will launch in Japan before April 2015, while Europe and the U.S. can expect to see it in stores in the summer of 2015. Pricing outside of Japan has not yet been announced.
