Bay Area Among First Markets For Toyota's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Drivers in the Bay Area will be among the first in the U.S. to be able to purchase a vehicle that runs on hydrogen later this year.
Toyota announced Wednesday that they will start selling the Mirai, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, at eight California dealerships starting in October.
In the Bay Area, the car will be sold in locations in San Francisco, Sunnyvale and San Jose. The Mirai will also be sold in the Sacramento area and in Southern California.
The automaker said in a statement that locations were selected based on the proximity to hydrogen infrastructure.
According to the California Fuel Cell Partnership, there are only a handful of hydrogen stations in the entire state. The partnership said nearly 50 stations throughout California are "in development." Toyota said all cars would come with free hydrogen fuel for "up to three years."
Pricing for the Mirai starts at $57,500 before incentives, and the fuel cell car will also be available for lease.
Toyota plans to sell only 3,000 fuel cell cars through 2017.