Bless the folks at Toyota, really. Not content with making its hydrogen fuel cell patents royalty free for any auto manufacturer to employ, the world’s leading car manufacturer is now working to price the newly-revealed Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle much lower – currently, prices begin at US$57,500.
Katsuhiko Hirose, project manager at Toyota’s fuel cell development arm, told Automotive News that the firm is quite keen on pricing hydrogen-powered cars along the lines of a conventional petrol or diesel car. “A hydrogen-powered EV should cost roughly the same as a modern diesel,” said Hirose.
As expected, things are a lot easier said than done as Hirose admits that the final decision to drop the price is “a matter of debate within the company.” A further obstacle despite the vaunted price reduction is public perception towards a hydrogen-powered vehicle.
“Acceptance of fuel cells probably will be similar to that for hybrids, about 10 to 15 years,” added Hirose. Additional concerns on the operational range of a hydrogen-powered car were dismissed with Hirose stating that hydrogen cars possess more or less the same range as that of a petrol- or diesel-powered car.
Further reinforcing Toyota’s aim to reduce the price of fuel cell vehicles is the issue of the rising number of cars being produced and registered. With markets such as China and Brazil rapidly adding to the count, the need for non-petrol-powered cars is among the key answers to alternative forms of mobility.
GALLERY: Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle
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Thank you Hirose-san for your pricing of fuel cell cars at par with diesel cars. What about here in bolehland? High prices for outdated tech in their car lineups.
Outdated cars when tidak laku can give RM8K discounts old stock lah.
Toyota are always good and cheap. That’s solid reasons it is best car seller in the world for years.
Why Toyota so expensive in Malaysia? Ask Proton!
For a lousy car maker to survive, generations of Malaysians suffer.
Honda more feature and better quality than toyota but at same price. Umw greedy for profit growth for expense of customer loyalty you still dont see????
Our Govt will make a another 100%-200% taxes yo the car…
That’s the only idea and suggestion that our beloved BN can think of !!!
Meanwhile in Malaysia…
Hi Boss! Please reserve our peanuts.
Good news… but, i don’t think this car will available here in Malaysia as we have oil. That is what a university students said when asked about producing hydrogen in Malaysia. We still have oil… and taxes… but cheaper price is a steps closer to this cleaner energy…
Goes to show the real leech is UMW. Lousy, outdated and safety-lacking cars. Surviving on a badge “prestige” and so called RV. What good is RV when you’ve crashed in a ditch dying cause your UMW Toyolta lacks VSC? Sometimes Malaysians can be blinded by a badge. Sad…
As long as its not a kimchi, it will have RV
Toyota rv nowadays not so good anymore.. more less like proton.. toyota quality now on par with proton.. umw too greedy take out most of toyota international standard features then use milo tin … then eureka! Profit growth!
The problem with Fuel Cell isn’t really the cars themselves….or how much they sell for. With time and volume, unit costs will come down….and quite quickly at that.
Somehow, Toyota still has to address the elephant in the room. How do you distribute and store Hydrogen.
As I have always said, there will be 2 automotive technological polarization. One would be Fuel cell. The other will be full electric. Fuel cell cars will dominate the larger, more powerful, longer range vehicles, while full electric cars will be limited to smaller city cars.
The reason why diesel and petrol have been so long lived is its infrastructure. You can basically go anywhere in the world with a road, and find a gas pump somewhere along the way.
Double the current Prius price when it land here. And you can’t refuel it because Malaysia Shell don’t have Hydrogen.
In malaysia, there’s only shell petrol station ka?