Toyota has unveiled the production version of its hydrogen fuel cell sedan, which was first shown as the FCV Concept at last year's Tokyo Motor Show. Only the exterior has been revealed for now, and shows a shape that has largely been retained from the Tokyo preview.
The general flow of the exterior remains, with some minor changes to the front grille design - the side diamond/honeycomb-shaped layout has been replaced by a more conventional look, and there are fewer slats to the centre unit.
At the back, a levelling splitter finds its way on, and the production car features a regular-looking fuel filler flap cutout. The wheel design, meanwhile, has been carried over.
The automaker hasn't divulged the technical specs of the FCS, but based on the concept states that the car will have an operating range of around 700 km (on a JC08 cycle measurement), which is 200 km more than that bandied for the FCV Concept.
Based on the concept, the FCS should also retain its four-seater layout. The study measures 4.87 metres long, which is 45 mm longer than a Camry, and has a 2,780 mm-long wheelbase. Refueling time is claimed to be as low as three minutes, about the same time it takes to tank up a regular petrol-powered vehicle.
In Tokyo, the FCV Concept was showcased with a powertrain made up of a proprietary small, lightweight 3 kW/l fuel cell stack and two 70mPa high-pressure hydrogen tanks located beneath the specially-designed body.
The current fuel cell stack, with a power output of around 100 kW, offers twice as much power output density as the earlier stack in use on the FCHC-adv concept. The FC system is also equipped with a high-efficiency boost converter.
Toyota says the Fuel Cell Sedan will be launched in Japan next year, before April, priced at approximately seven million yen (US$69k, or RM222k), following which it will be introduced in the US and selected European markets in the summer of 2015.
Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan (FCS)
Toyota FCV Concept
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