Toyota has announced that it intends to unveil its newest near-production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle at the Tokyo Motor Show in late November 2013. Right now, however, the look of the car is shaded with secrecy as it is covered with swirly foil (see picture above). Those closest to Toyota have had to undergo the “Super-Secret Squirrel Double Pinky Ring Swear” to keep under wraps the story of this FCV.
According to Daily Kanban, “The prototype sits on the actual production vehicle underbody, the powertrain is the same as what will power the final vehicle. The car currently wears a hand-me-down hat from a midsize Lexus – at the Tokyo Motor Show in late November, we will see something that will come much closer to the final product.”
Toyota hasn’t given a name for its official FCV yet. What they have told us, however, is that it can refuel in 3 minutes using two tanks that combined, weigh around 135 lbs. The vehicle can travel in the range of 300 – 400 miles per refueling.
The fuel cell stack weighs around 220 lbs., so combined with the hydrogen tanks, the system weighs about the same as an internal combustion engine. The fuel cell stack also resides underneath the driver’s seat, giving passengers more leg room.
At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota unveiled the FCV-R fuel cell sedan. In a few short weeks we’ll be able to compare the newest Toyota iteration to that which was rolled out two years ago. As Toyota says, “Let’s go places.”