Toyota Motor Corp. announced Wednesday that it will release its first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle in 2015.
The Japanese automaker revealed the exterior design for the fuel-cell sedan on Wednesday, and expects to make the car available in the U.S. and Europe next summer, according to PC Magazine.
The concept car was introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2013, and the vehicle is expected to be available in Japan in April for about 7 million yen ($68,660). Initial sales for the vehicle will only be available in areas that have hydrogen refueling infrastructure.
Toyota said the Fuel Cell Sedan only takes three minutes to refuel and has a range as good as that of a patrol car, which gives it an advantage over the Nissan Leaf and other pure battery vehicles, The Telegraph reported.
The lack of hydrogen refueling infrastructure in some areas is a major obstacle for Toyota to overcome. Hyundai said that there Europe currently only has 27 hydrogen stations.
Toyota has spent over 20 years building fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs) in-house, and has followed three principles when developing environmentally friendly cars. These principles are to embrace diverse energy sources, to develop efficient, low-emission cars, and drive change by making them popular.
The Fuel Cell Sedan only emits water vapor created by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The reaction generates the electricity used to power the blue four-door car. The exact cruising range of the vehicle is 700 kilometers (435 miles).
Toyota has been looking to sell hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric cars for almost a year. The automaker showcased two demo FCVs in January at the Consumer Electronics Show, which included the sedan it introduced Wednesday, PC Magazine reported.
The sedan is only one of Toyota's projects related to hydrogen fuel cells. The company is currently testing ways to use fuel cells in homes, and is also working on forklifts and buses that run on fuel cells.
