Toyota Says Fuel-cell Car Has 310-mile Range

After its initial debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in November, 2013, the hydrogen fuel cell-powered Toyota FCV (fuel cell vehicle) made its first U.S. appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier in January. Along with the car, Toyota brought news about the nation's nascent hydrogen infrastructure.

This was the first U.S. look at the vehicle, which was announced also at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November but shown only in Tokyo. Toyota is among the makers that have suddenly gotten serious about hydrogen fuel cells, a technology that seemed to have gotten lost amid the hoopla about plug-in electric power and batteries.

At the Los Angeles show, Hyundai also announced a fuel cell vehicle, a version of its Tucson SUV, and Honda announced there would be a new-generation successor to its FCX Clarity fuel cell sedan that launched in 2008. All are due in 2015.

The FCV promises a 310 mile range between hydrogen fill-ups, room for four passengers, and a refuel time of just three minutes. Unlike a plug-in electric vehicle, there's no waiting for a battery to recharge. Promised top speed is over 100 mph, and zero-to 60-mile-per-hour times are about ten seconds.

The FCV's propulsion system is small enough to fit beneath the seats, and two high-pressure hydrogen tanks save space and lower costs. Many components of the electric drive system are shared with Toyota's hybrid drivetrain.

The automaker did not put a price on what the FCV has cost in production form — estimates range from $50,000 to $100,000—but Carter said that cost reductions will put the car on the road "in greater numbers" than people might expect.

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