It appears the hunt for alternative fuel sources is still on as Toyota might soon join the fuel cell club. The company already is a major player in the gasoline/hybrid game, but hasn’t truly revealed much about hydrogen power. A small number of vehicles using a hydrogen-fuel cell powerplaint might make it into production by 2015. The hunt for different a true gasoline alternative is being heavily fueled by Europe and America’s increasingly stringent emissions standards.
Initially, Toyota only plans on producing a limited number of hydrogen cars. According to an Automotive News article, Alain Uyttenhoven, Toyota Europe’s Vice President for Product planning and Marketing said one car could cost as much as $138,000. That is a $100 grand jump from the gasoline/electric Prius Hybrid’s retail price. In the United States, Honda is the only manufacture who offers a hydrogen fuel celled car to the public: the FCX Clarity. It may currently only be available for lease, but it’s price and payments have never added up to more than $100,000. Despite this high cost, Toyota still plans to produce one to accompany their ever-growing hybrid family.
Source: AutomotiveNews.com
