Japanese car maker, Honda, to sell the “ultimate eco-cars” with 750 km range next spring

According to The Asahi Shimbun, Honda Motor Co. plans to market next spring a fuel-cell vehicle that can travel up to 750 kilometers, 100 km farther than Toyota Motor Corp.’s Mirai FCV sedan.

Honda said the expanded driving range was the result of more efficient fuel cells and a lighter car body.

The five-seat FCV will be released in March and be priced between 7 million yen ($56,500) and 8 million yen, on a par with the 7.2-million-yen Mirai.

Released in December, Toyota’s four-seat Mirai is the world’s first FCV to be sold commercially. It has a range of 650 km on a full charge.

FCVs have a longer driving range than electric vehicles and are powered by electricity generated through a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the air. As the vehicles emit only water while running, they are also called the “ultimate eco-cars.”

Nissan Motor Co. is also planning to market an FCV in 2017.

Competition among automakers to develop and improve technologies for FCVs is expected to continue.

Ref: http://ajw.asahi.com/article/business/AJ201506240097