Toyota and Honda are the latest car makers to reveal fuel-cell vehicles: the Toyota Mirai (pictured) and Honda Concept.
The Toyota Mirai is a four-door, mid-size sedan that is powered by hydrogen, can re-fuel in about five minutes, and travels up to 300 miles on a full tank. It's expected to launch in California next fall and expand as hydrogen refueling stations are installed.
Fuel-cell cars do not plug in and charge up like a traditional electric vehicle. Instead, the hydrogen helps generate electricity, which powers the vehicle. There are zero greenhouse-gas emissions, as the car emits only water vapor, Hyundai said.
Toyota first tipped a fuel-cell car for the U.S. in June, and formally unveiled the Mirai on Monday in Newport Beach, California.
Despite its powerful output of 3.1 kW/L, the Mirai's fuel cell stack fits under the front driver and passenger seats, providing the car with a maximum output of 153 horsepower. It also accelerates from zero to 60 in just nine seconds.
"The Mirai offers performance options that go well beyond a traditional automobile," the car maker said.
Case in point: The vehicle will come with an optional power take off (PTO) device, which enables it to serve as a mobile generator in an emergency, powering home essentials in an average house for up to a week—all the while emitting only water.
It will, of course, also come with some standard safety technologies, including vehicle pre-collision, blind spot monitor, lane departure alert, drive start control, and automatic high beams.
"This is a car that lets you have it all with no compromises," Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda said in the video above.
When Toyota's Mirai hits California lots next year, customers can purchase the vehicle for $57,500, or opt for a 36-month lease at $499 per month, with $3,649 due at signing. State and federal incentives—which total $13,000—could drop the price below $45,000 for many buyers.
In June, Hyundai debuted its first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle in the United States. Those who lease a Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell CUV will get free hydrogen refueling, much like Tesla provides free charging for its Model S electric cars.
On that front, Honda said it will make an announcement at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show - which kicks off Friday - "about its commitment to help expand and accelerate California's public hydrogen refueling station network."
Honda launched a fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity, in July 2008. Its next outing, the Honda FCV Concept, will launch in Japan by March 2016, followed by the U.S. and Europe. Honda also promised a 300-mile range and a re-fueling timeframe of three to five minutes.