Will Toyota’s investment in fuel-cell vehicles pay off with the 2015 FCV-R?

By Marcus Amick May 1, 2013

Toyota said the cost for its new fuel-cell car could carry a price tag that puts it more in-line with a premium luxury car.

Talking to Automotive News, Chris Hostetter, group vice president of strategic planning for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., told the industry news source that the new FCV-R Fuel- Cell vehicle will cost anywhere between $50,000 to $100,000.

Even at $75,000, Toyota’s fuel cell car would be more expensive than a vehicle like the Tesla Model S that has a bit more brand cache now when it comes to premium “green vehicles.”

That said, if the cost of the FCV-R does inch toward $100,000, it still won’t be anywhere close to the whopping $1 million that Hostetter says it cost for one of the Toyota fuel cell prototypes.

According to Automotive News, Toyota currently has a fleet of 100 fuel cell beta-prototypes based on the Highlander crossover that have a “real-world-range” of 440 miles. The 2015 FCV-R model, which will be shown at the 2013 Tokyo auto show, is expected to have a design and size that is more Prius-like.

However, potential sales for fuel cell vehicles are still very limited in the U.S. due to the lack of usable structures to support hydrogen refueling, notes the Automotive News report. Currently, the FCV-R Fuel-Cell Car can only be sold in California and New York when it goes on sale in 2015.

That could present some unique challenges for Toyota coupled with Hostetter saying the carmaker expects to sell as many fuel cell cars in 2015 as the number of Prius units sold in its first year, which was 11,000 nationwide, according to the Automotive News report.

Still, I think the most pressing issue for Toyota is figuring out how much people would be willing to pay for the fuel-cell technology under its nameplate.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Marcus Amick has been writing about the world of cars for more than ten years and has covered everything from new automobiles…

Cars

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan gets new face, bigger battery

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan front-quarter view.

The Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan arrived during the 2022 model year as the flagship of Mercedes' EV fleet. But now that it's been on sale for a few years, it's time for this flagship to get a refit so that it can stay competitive with other six-figure electric sedans like the BMW i7, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S. The updated EQS sedan is scheduled to reach dealerships later this year as a 2025 model.

One of the most controversial features of the EQS has been its unorthodox streamlined shape, which makes the EQS one of the most aerodynamic sedans around, but also means it doesn't look much like a traditional Mercedes. For 2025, the EQS takes a step closer to that traditional look with a new grille featuring chrome bars like on the Mercedes S-Class. It also sports the brand's trademark hood ornament.

Cars

Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations

The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Cars

Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more

Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.