Skip to main content

Toyota to sell $50,000 hydrogen car in U.S. by 2015, Tesla’s Musk says they’re ‘stupid’

Toyota-FCV-R-Concept-1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Here comes hydrogen! Yes, Toyota aims to replicate the success it had with the world’s first production hybrid, the Prius, with a mass-market hydrogen car for the 2015 model year.

Recommended Videos

Presumably based upon its FCV-R concept from a few years ago, the as-yet unnamed hydrogen-powered production model would cost between $50,000-$100,000 and have a range of 300 miles. This might not bee too expensive for eco-minded buyers, however, Toyota has reportedly pegged the Tesla Model S as a pricing rival.

This, of course, did not make Tesla CEO Elon Musk very happy. “Fuel cells should be renamed ‘fool cells,’ they are so stupid,” said Musk in an interview a few weeks ago, according to Bloomberg. “You could take best case of a fuel cell, theoretically the best case, and it does not compete with lithium-ion cells today. And lithium-ion cells are far from their optimum.”

Although Honda and Hyundai have beat Toyota to the market with hydrogen fuel cell-powered production vehicles, both were offered in a very limited scope. If Toyota wants to recreate the success it had with the Prius, it will have to offer the hydrogen fuel cell cars on a wider scale than its competitors.

Early hydrogen cars cost upwards of $1-million to build. Thanks to dozens of technological breakthroughs in the last few years, including several improvements to the design of hydrogen catalysts, the green technology is now much cheaper to produce.

Hydrogen-powered cars don’t “run on hydrogen” in the same way as a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine operates. The gas, which is one of the most plentiful in the universe, can be made from seawater and other sustainable sources, and is utilized in an in-car “fuel cell” that generates electricity for the car’s electric motor or motors. The waste product of a fuel cell is pure water (H2O).

Fuel cell technology is nothing new either. NASA began using the devices to power spacecraft decades ago. The main problem facing hydrogen-powered cars is a lack of infrastructure (i.e. hydrogen “gas stations”).

Next week, Digital Trends will be heading to southern California to drive a pre-production version of the Toyota hydrogen car as well as a Mercedes F-Cell and a Hyundai fuel-cell car. If you’re keen to know what its like to drive and own a hydrogen car before they hit the market, be sure to check back for our special reports.

Nick Jaynes
Former Automotive Editor
Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…
Cheaper EVs ahead? GM and LG say new battery cells are the key
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV front quarter view.

General Motors and LG Energy Solution have announced a new phase in their ongoing partnership: developing a new battery cell chemistry that could significantly lower the cost of electric vehicles. The joint effort centers on lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) battery cells, a variation of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) that’s gaining popularity for being more affordable and less reliant on expensive materials like nickel and cobalt.

This is a big deal because battery costs are still the single largest expense in producing EVs. According to GM and industry experts, LMFP cells could help bring the cost of electric vehicles close to — or even on par with — gas-powered cars. The goal? Making EVs accessible to a broader range of drivers without sacrificing range or performance.

Read more
Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis following collisions with road barriers
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous-car technology has made great advances over the years to the point where it’s now allowed to offer paid robotaxi rides in select locations in the U.S.

But the development of the technology is ongoing, and the robotaxi rides continue to gather valuable data for Waymo engineers to pore over as they further refine the driverless system to make it as reliable and efficient as possible. Which is why glitches will sometimes occur.

Read more
Apple CarPlay Ultra looks stunning in Aston Martin supercar debut
Apple CarPlay Ultra

Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of the Cupertino, California-based firm's smartphone projection system for your car, and it's available in new vehicles in the US and Canada.

When we say "new cars", your options are very much limited to one brand... Aston Martin. So you'll need deep pockets if you want to experience CarPlay Ultra for yourself.

Read more