The hydrogen-powered Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle officially made its U.S. debut at the Consumer Electronics Show today, Jan. 6, months after it was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show.
"We aren't trying to re-invent the wheel; just everything necessary to make them turn," said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A. Inc., at the opening of CES. "Fuel cell electric vehicles will be in our future sooner than many people believe, and in much greater numbers than anyone expected."
Toyota claims the FCV has a 310 mile range between fillups, refuel time of around three minutes, and can fit up to four passengers.
The vehicle has a top speed of 100 mph, and can go 0 to 60 mph in around 10 seconds, according to the automaker.
"Hydrogen works beautifully with oxygen to create water and electricity and nothing more," said Carter. "For years, the use of hydrogen gas to power an electric vehicle has been seen by many smart people as a foolish quest. Yes, there are significant challenges. The first is building the vehicle at a reasonable price for many people. The second is doing what we can to help kick-start the construction of convenient hydrogen refueling infrastructure. We're doing a good job with both and we will launch in 2015."
The fuel-cell converts hydrogen power to electricity to run. It also has no emissions, besides water vapor, which is a main factor that Toyota is hoping will convince consumers to purchase the new vehicle.
"There's no doubt, that the success of this technology will depend less on the genius of the car, than on the ownership experience," said Carter. "Cost is one thing, but convenience is another."
Toyota is also studying whether or not the car could be used to power a house, since the automaker feels it has enough power to last a whole week.
Toyota also announced 20 new hydrogen stations at CES as well, which will be opened by 2015. Around 100 stations could be opened by 2024, according to the automaker.
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