Honda, Toyota Plan to Launch Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles in 2015

Washington DC March 26, 2014; The AIADA newsletter reported that Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. plan to launch fuel cell vehicles in the consumer market in 2015, with each producing about 1,000 units a year, according to Automotive News.

Initial prices of these zero-emission vehicles, which cover longer distances than electric cars, will set below 10 million yen ($97,700). Honda is developing a sedan that it plans to roll out as early as November 2015, which will be able to travel about 310 miles on a single charge – twice the range of an electric vehicle, the Nikkei reported.

Honda intends to churn out 5,000 units over five years, selling them in Japan, the United States, and Europe.

Toyota, the global leader in hybrid vehicles, intends to release a sedan in Japan, the United States and Europe in 2015. By 2020, the automaker aims to lift annual output to tens of thousands of units. Toyota hopes to cut prices to between 3 million and 5 million yen ($29,300-$48,900) in the 2020s, the Nikkei said, quoting an unnamed development staffer.