Toyota Motor Corp. will start building hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in mid-December, earlier than originally planned, according to a report from Japan.
The automotive manufacturer first revealed its plans to make hydrogen cars last year at the Tokyo Motor Show, according to NBC News. The company has suggested that it is getting involved in the hydrogen car market in order to meet stricter Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) standards.
Toyota's first battery cars would cost close to 8 million yen (about $78,000). The company is looking to bring the price down between 3 million and 5 million yen (between $30,000 and $50,000) by the beginning of the 2020s.
The vehicle is currently called the Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV), and was originally planned to be available in 2015.
The fuel cell in a hydrogen vehicle mixes hydrogen with oxygen to power the electric motor in the car. The car is designed to have an Environmental Protection Agency driving range of approximately 300 miles, which is three times the range of current electric cars, such as the Chevrolet Spark EV, which can go at 82 miles when fully charged.
Toyota has hinted that it will bring a modified version of its Tokyo concept vehicle in the U.S. Whether or not the automaker will bring down the price of the U.S. fuel-cell vehicle to increase demand has yet to be revealed, according to NBC News.
Benefits of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles include fuel cells offering better range than today's lithium ion batteries, as well as the vehicles being able to be refueled in minutes, which is faster than the time it takes to recharge a battery-car. The fuel cell vehicle also emits water vapor.
Toyota said the FCV will have "a refueling time as low as three minutes, which is roughly the same as a gasoline vehicle," WXYZ reported.
A study by the company states that it will sell most of its hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in California, and that the state is looking to have 50 stations for the cars by the end of 2016.
