There will only be a few hundred, and they won't be cheap, but Toyota is about to take its first small step into the unproven market for emissions-free, hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The world's largest automaker announced Tuesday that it will begin selling fuel cell cars in Japan on December 15, and in the US and Europe in mid-2015.

The sporty-looking, four-door Toyota Mirai will retail for 6,700,000 yen (57,600 US dollars) before taxes.

Toyota Motor Corp hopes to sell 400 in Japan and 300 in the rest of the world in the first year.

Fuel cell vehicles run on compressed hydrogen gas, which in the Mirai's case is stored in two tanks mounted underneath the vehicle.

They emit no exhaust, though fossil fuels are used in the production of hydrogen and to pressurise it. Both Honda and Hyundai have or are also experimenting with limited sales and leases of fuel cell cars.

Besides the relatively high cost, buyers will have to contend with finding fuel.

Only a few dozen hydrogen filling stations have been built worldwide, though governments are subsidising the construction of more.

It's an uncertain future that depends both on whether makers can bring down the price, and a wide-enough network of filling stations is built.

Sales will be limited to the primarily urban areas that have stations.

In Japan, with about 30 stations, that means the regions around Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya cities in central and western Japan and the northern part of Kyushu island in the south.

A few stations have opened in California in the United States, and there are plans to build some in the Northeast. Germany and the United Kingdom are among European countries that have or plan to build them.

The first buyers are expected to be affluent people who are environmental aware, and governments and companies that want to go green.

The Mirai can travel 650 to 700 kilometers (400-435 miles) on its two tanks of hydrogen.

Hydrogen may be more expensive than gas initially, because there are so few customers but, over time, Toyota expects it will be cheaper to run a car on hydrogen than with gas.vehicles a year.

The company's Executive Vice President Mitsuhisa Kato said he was confident "its innovation will surpass the Prius."

Both Honda and Hyundai have or are also experimenting with limited sales and leases of fuel cell cars.

AP TELEVISION

Tokyo - 18 November 2014

1. Toyota's hydrogen-powered car - "Mirai" appearing on stage

2. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Yoshikazu Tanaka, Toyota Motor Deputy Chief Engineer:

"It is a car of the next century, a car that leads to making a society use hydrogen energy. To realise this concept, we have put in all our advanced technology into the development. As a result, we believe we developed a car that is not only good for the environment, but it is also a vehicle that is fun, quiet, pleasurable and comfortable to drive."

3. Various of Toyota Mirai driving along streets

4. Toyota Motor Executive Vice President Mitsuhisa Kato on stage

5. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Mitsuhisa Kato, Toyota Motor Executive Vice President:

"The FCV (fuel cell vehicle) - if hydrogen energy is once accepted, it will make a great difference in the society. I believe its innovation will surpass the Prius."

6. Logo on car reading (English): "Fuel Cell"

7. Various set up shots of Hans Greimel, auto analyst at Toyota's press conference venue

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Greimel, Asia Editor of Automotive News:

"Well, they often say that the hydrogen fuel cell car is is kind of like the car of the future. But now we finally see the future gradually creeping closer. There hasn't been a lot of effort yet to really make a marketable retail-ready fuel cell car. But here we see Toyota taking a step in that direction where putting of a retail price on a car, which is something that's a little bit new. We're also putting volumes on a car, sales volumes on a car, that's also kind of a new direction. So we're seeing that the fuel cell, hydrogen-powered cars are becoming more of a... creeping closer to reality."

9. Various of exhibited Mirai with open bonnet

10. Fuel Cell logo

JAPAN TOYOTA

SOURCE: AP TELEVISION

RESTRICTIONS: TECHNOLOGY CLIENTS ONLY

LENGTH: 4:22

SHOTLIST:

AP Television

Tokyo, Japan - 17 November 2014

1. Various of Toyota's "Mirai"driving by

AP Television

Tokyo, Japan - 18 November 2014

2. Pan right from media to wide of Mitsuhisa Kato, Toyota Motor Corp Executive Vice President (left) and Yoshikazu Tanaka, Toyota Motor Corp product planning group's Deputy Chief Engineer posing with car

3. Close of Kato and Tanaka

4. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Mitsuhisa Kato, Toyota Motor Corp Executive Vice President:

"The "FCV" - if hydrogen energy is accepted, it will make a great difference in the society. I believe its innovation will surpass the Prius."

AP Television

Tokyo, Japan - 17 November 2014

5. Low shot of Toyota's "Mirai" driving by

AP Television

Tokyo, Japan - 18 November 2014

6. Wide of model showing fuel cell system

7. Close of Fuel filler

8. Pan left of model showing fuel cell system

9. Close of Fuel cell stack

AP Television

Tokyo, Japan - 17 November 2014

10. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Hitoshi Nomasa, Toyota Motor Corp Project Manager of Mirai:

"The fuel cell stack is the heart of this vehicle, and furthermore, the "cell" is the key. Including its reliability, we put much of the effort in reducing the size and maximising the power of the fuel cell stack that had to be installed in an automobile. The mass production technology is also another factor that we focused on and we finally came to this point (of putting it out on the market)."

11. Pan left of Mirai driving by

12. Various of Mirai interior as it drives

13. Wide of Mirai passing by sign reading (English): "JHFC, Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project"

14. Wide of Mirai arriving at hydrogen station pump

15. Various of fuelling process

AP Television

Tokyo, Japan - 18 November 2014

16. Setup shot of Haans Griemel, Asia Editor of Automotive News, speaking with man

17. Close up of Griemel

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Haans Griemel, Asia Editor of Automotive News:

"The most challenging part of this car's roll out is of course the infrastructure. It's kind of a chicken and egg type of a problem. People want to buy the car only if there's an infrastructure, but there won't be the infrastructure unless people are buying the cars. So, that's the biggest hurdle I would say right now, it's just getting a fuelling network up and running so that people aren't afraid to drive this car across the country."

19. Wide of press conference

20. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Yoshikazu Tanaka, Toyota Motor Corp Product Planning Group's Deputy Chief Engineer:

"Our goal for the release in 2015 was originally decided in 2011 when the infrastructure providers, automakers and the government agreed and announced its plan to have the infrastructure ready by year 2015. We timed it - in a way - to synchronise with the similar movement happening in Europe and in America so we went along with that."

21. Close of Mirai's front interior

22. Close of logo reading (English) "FUELCELL"

23. Wide of Mirai

24. Pull focus of Toyota logo

AP Television

Tokyo, Japan - 17 November 2014

25. Low shot of Mirai driving past

LEADIN:

Toyota is about to take its first small step into the unproven market of emissions-free, hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The world's largest automaker has announced it will begin selling a limited number of its fuel cell car - named 'Mirai' - from December in Japan and later in mid-2015 across the US and Europe.

STORYLINE:

It's named the Toyota Mirai and now this sporty-looking four-door is stealing all the attention in Tokyo.

At a press event on Tuesday (18 November), the Japanese car manufacturers unveiled their latest creation to the media.

It's set to retail for 6.7 million yen ($57,600 USD) before taxes.

But if you're hoping to get your hands on you'll have to be quick, Toyota Motor Corp only expect to sell 400 in Japan and 300 in the rest of the world in the first year.

More importantly, it represents a seismic shift for the Japanese automakers, the Mirai is their first emissions-free, hydrogen-powered vehicle.

"The "FCV" - if hydrogen energy is accepted, it will make a great difference in the society," says Mitsuhisa Kato, Toyota Motor Corp's executive vice president.

"I believe its innovation will surpass the Prius."

Fuel cell vehicles run on compressed hydrogen gas, which - in Mirai's case - is stored in two tanks mounted underneath the vehicle.

They emit no exhaust, though fossil fuels are used in the production of hydrogen and to pressurise it.

According to those involved with its creation, the most difficult factor in developing the vehicle was its fuel cell stack.

"The fuel cell stack is the heart of this vehicle, and furthermore, the "cell" is the key," says Hitoshi Nomasa, project manager of Mirai.

"Including its reliability, we put much of the effort in reducing the size and maximising the power of the fuel cell stack that had to be installed in an automobile. The mass production technology is also another factor that we focused on and we finally came to this point (of putting it out on the market)."

The stack outputs a maximum of 114 KW.

According to Toyota, the efficiency of its electricity generation has been improved by using 3D fine mesh flow channels to ensure uniform generation on cell surfaces - a world first.

Other Asian automakers, Honda and Hyundai, are also experimenting with limited sales and leases of fuel cell cars.

Honda recently showed off a fuel cell concept.

Besides the relatively high cost, buyers will have to contend with finding fuel - only a few dozen hydrogen filling stations have been built worldwide, though governments are subsidising the construction of more.

It's an uncertain future that depends both on whether makers can bring down the price and if a wide-enough network of filling stations is built.

According to auto analyst Haans Griemel, the most challenging part of selling the FCVs is the problem of infrastructure.

"The most challenging part of this car's roll out is of course the infrastructure," he says.

"It's kind of a chicken and egg type of a problem. People want to buy the car only if there's an infrastructure, but there won't be the infrastructure unless people are buying the cars. So, that's the biggest hurdle I would say right now, it's just getting a fuelling network up and running so that people aren't afraid to drive this car across the country."

Yoshikazu Tanaka, the deputy chief engineer for Toyota's next generation vehicle development, says he expects it will take 10-20 years for the Mirai to reach sales in the tens of thousands of vehicles a year.

This release was timed with what's happening around the world.

"Our goal for the release in 2015 was originally decided in 2011 when the infrastructure providers, automakers and the government agreed and announced its plan to have the infrastructure ready by year 2015," says Tanaka.

"We timed it - in a way - to synchronise with the similar movement happening in Europe and in America so we went along with that."

Toyota faced a similar scenario with its gasoline-electric hybrid - the Prius - which now sells in big numbers.

Hoping to offset the inconvenience of finding fuel, Toyota gave the car a futuristic look inside and out - Mirai means 'future' in Japanese.

It accelerates quickly, from about 40 to 70 kilometres (25 to 45 miles) per hour.

The Japanese government also plans to offer a 2 million yen ($17,136 USD) subsidy to purchasers of fuel cell cars, reducing the effective price to 4.7 million yen ($40,270 USD).

Sales will be limited to the primarily urban areas that have fueling stations.

In Japan, there are about 30 stations.

They're in the regions around Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya cities in central and western Japan and the northern part of Kyushu Island in the south.

A few stations have opened in California in the United States and there are plans to build some in the Northeast.

Germany and the UK are among European countries that have or plan to build them.

According to Toyota, they currently have about 200 pre-orders for the vehicle, mainly from government agencies and companies that want to go green.

The Mirai can travel 650 to 700 kilometres (400-435 miles) on its two tanks of hydrogen.

In the US, its range is 300 miles because of different driving conditions.

Hydrogen may be more expensive than gas initially, because there are so few customers but - over time - Toyota expects it will be cheaper to run a car on hydrogen than gas.

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Cars that run on hydrogen and exhaust only water vapor are emerging to challenge electric vehicles as the world's transportation of the future.

At the Los Angeles Auto Show Wednesday, Honda and Hyundai automakers unveiled hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to be delivered to the general public as early as next spring.

Toyota promised a mass-produced fuel cell car by 2015 at the Tokyo car show earlier.

Hyundai Motor Co. will be the first to the mass market in the U.S. It unveiled a hydrogen-powered Tucson small SUV that will be leased to consumers for $499 per month for three years with $3,000 down.

Hydrogen cars are appealing because unlike electric vehicles, they have the range of a typical gasoline car and can be refueled quickly. Experts say the industry also has overcome safety and reliability concerns that have hindered distribution in the past.

But hydrogen cars still have a glaring downside � refueling stations are scarce, and costly to build.

Consumers can expect costs in line with some luxury models.

Hyundai is offering to pay the hydrogen and maintenance costs. The company will start leasing in the Los Angeles area, where most of the state's nine fueling stations are located. California lawmakers have allocated $100 million to build 100 more. Honda wouldn't reveal any pricing details.

Hydrogen cars, experts say, have an advantage over battery-powered electric cars because drivers don't have to worry about running out of electricity and having to wait hours for recharging.

Hydrogen fuel cells use a complex chemical process to separate electrons and protons in hydrogen gas molecules. The electrons power a car's electric motor, which turns the wheels.

Since the hydrogen isn't burned, there's no pollution. Instead, oxygen also is pumped into the system, and when it meets the hydrogen ions and electrons, that creates water and heat. The only byproduct is water.

A fuel cell produces only about one volt of electricity, so many are stacked to generate enough juice.

Toyota said its new fuel cell vehicle will go on sale in Japan in 2015 and within a year later in Europe and U.S.

Toyota's fuel cell car is a "concept" model called FCV that looks like a sleeker Prius gas-electric hybrid.

Honda, which has leased about two-dozen fuel cell cars since 2005, took the wraps off a futuristic-looking FCEV concept vehicle in Los Angeles.

Honda executives predict that it will take five years for the hydrogen refueling stations to reach significant numbers outside California, and up to 25 years to go nationwide.

But skeptics say hydrogen fueling stations are more expensive than electric car charging stations, partly because electricity is almost everywhere and new and safe ways for producing, storing and transferring

hydrogen will be needed.

AP TELEVISION

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Los Angeles, California

1. Wide, convention floor at Los Angeles Auto Show

2. Wide, pan across cars covered with fabric waiting to be revealed

3. Wide, Chevrolet logo advertising new "Colorado" mid-size pickup truck

4. Medium, smoke and colored lights around new Subaru WRX, silky fabric slides off to unveil new car model in cherry red

5. Medium low, man peers in driver's side door of Subaru WRX

6. Wide, Honda stage with water and lights and concept car under wraps

7. Medium, screen above stage reads reads "Honda FCEV Concept"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Tetsuo Iwamura, President and CEO, American Honda Motor Co.

"Today we want to focus on what we believe has the potential to become the ultimate solution to realizing ultra-low carbon mobility. And that is the fuel cell electric vehicle."

9. Wide, Iwamura speaks on stage in front of veiled concept car

10. Tight, rear bumper of concept car as Iwarmura walks in front

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tetsuo Iwamura, President and CEO, American Honda Motor Co."The Honda FCEV concept!" (wide, fabric is whisked off car and music swells)

12. Wide, Honda sign on convention floor

13. Medium, woman tries to open door on concept car

14. Medium, man takes photo of car with cell phone

15. Tight, rear license plate pan up to Honda logo on rear bumper

16. SOUNDBITE (English) John O'Dell, Edmunds.com green vehicle analyst "Hydrogen fuel cells basically mix hydrogen and oxygen together, separate out the electrons and produce the electricity on board. In actuality, a hydrogen fuel cell car is an electric vehicle."

17. Tight, front of Honda concept car, zoom out to entire car

18. Tight, Honda insignia on front of car

19. Medium, photographer takes photo of car 20. SOUNDBITE (English) John O'Dell, Edmunds.com green vehicle analyst "The way Hyundai for instance tests its fuel cell tank? They light the car on fire. They've burnt up entire fuel cell vehicles to see what happens.

The pressure vent on the tank releases, the hydrogen goes up in a fan shape, it burns like a butane lighter, straight up in the air. And it dissipates in a couple of minutes."

21. Tight, curves on concept car, zoom out to entire car

22. Tight, Iwamura speaks to Japanese reporters

23. Medium pan, concept car

24. SOUNDBITE (English) John O'Dell, Edmunds.com green vehicle analyst "It's a more compact package and it's lighter than a big battery pack that you need for a plug-in electric vehicle."

25. Wide, audience waiting for Hyundai press conference

26. Medium, people at Hyundai presser

27. Wide, Hyundai Tucson ix35 hydrogen fuel cell compact SUV spinning slowly

28. Tight, Hyundai fuel cell vehicle spinning 29. Wide, Hyundai stage

30. SOUNDBITE (English) John Krafcik, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor America "You've got driving range of up to 300 miles. You can refuel them in just a few minutes. And there's endless choice in size and configuration.

That's because it's more space- and weight-efficient to multiply the number of fuel cells than it is to multiply the number of batteries."

31. Wide, Krafcik on stage

32. Medium, Hyundai Tucson compact SUV

33. Wide, Toyota display at convention

34. Tight, Toyota sign

35. Tight zoom out to medium, worker polishing Dodge Challenger anniversary edition

36. Medium, model in white dress and boots with Dodge Challenger

SHOTLIST

1. Tilt up, FCX Clarity entering the stage for line-off ceremony

2. Pan of FCX Clarity's front

3. Mid of driver closing the door, bowing to the audience

4. Mid of Honda engineers clapping hands

5. Wide of President Takeo Fukui walking to centre stage to address the audience

6. Wide of corporate audience

7. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Takeo Fukui, President of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.:

"Today is an historic day celebrating the new step towards a more widespread use of our fuel cell vehicle."

8. Mid of Ron Yerxa (left), Jon Spallino (centre), and Laura Harris, first customers of the vehicle

9. Mid of keys presented to the customers

10. Tilt up of Jon Spallino holding the car key

11. Wide of other two receiving the key from the president

12. Mid of Honda engineers clapping

13. Zoom out of President Fukui leaving the ceremony on FCX Clarity with the customers seated in the back

14. Tilt-up of the body

15. Pan of car interior at assembly line

16. Close of interior details

17. Wide of hydrogen tank

18. Mid of hydrogen tank detail

19. Mid of engineers lifting the body

20. Wide of engineers loading the hydrogen tank

21. Wide of engineers picking up too to adjust the hydrogen tank

22. Mid of Jon Spallino watching the assembly line

23. Close of hydrogen tank from below

24. Wide of Laura Harris listening to engineer's explanation

25. SOUNDBITE: (English) Laura Harris, FCX Clarity Customer:

"I am just really looking forward to a completely new alternative of transportation. So, I just want to be a part of the offerings that are available. This is an extraordinary one for sure, and it is an exquisite vehicle, and it is so fun to drive."

26. Mid to pan of the Spallino family getting in the car

27. Close of drivers' hands

28. Close of meter on the driver panel

29. Mid of driver's view

30. Wide to pan of FCX Clarity approaching and passing by

31. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jon Spallino, FCX Clarity Customer:

"The drive is fantastic. It's a great acceleration, great handling, and great comfort."

32. Pan of vehicle slowing down to a halt

33. Tilt up of vehicle interior mechanics

34. Close of FCX Clarity logo

35. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Takeo Fuku, President of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. :

"We have been working hard on the environment friendly technology, but the global climate is facing a serious situation, and it is important for us as a company to take a lead in addressing the problem. I think there is no future for the automotive industry unless we work on it as a whole, and we want to be at the forefront."

36. Zoom out of the car from the front

37. Close of FCX Clarity logo

38. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Sachito Fujimoto, Senior Chief Engineer, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

"Right now, the engine takes up a lot of space in gas-fuelled cars, but I want to create something different and more attractive with the fuel cell car. The styling, the driving feel, and the spacious interior of FCX Clarity are all new values and qualities created by the new fuel cell system."

39. Close to wide of car moving forward

LEAD IN:

Honda's new zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday (16JUN08).

The new vehicle is headed to southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring.

The FCX Clarity runs on hydrogen and electricity, emitting only water and none of the gases believed to induce global warming.

STORYLINE:

Honda's latest creation is, according to the manufacturers, two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car.

Fuel cells create electricity in a chemical process combining hydrogen and oxygen and only emit water vapour.

Designed for practical every day use, the car speeds up to 100 mph maximum and travels as far as 270 miles.

Honda expects to lease out a "few dozen" units this year and about 200 units within a year. In California, a

three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.

President Takeo Fukui says that Honda intends to lead the future of automotive industry with environmental technologies, adding that there is no future for the automotive industry unless environmental issues are addressed.

Senior Chief Engineer, Sachito Fujimoto, says the car excites him not just because it satisfies the company's environmental responsibility. The architecture of the car, which uses a fuel cell stack, creates avenues for exploring new designs, performance, and sensations behind the wheel.

Among the first customers are Ron Yerxa (who produced the award-winning film "Little Miss Sunshine"), Jon Spallino, CFO of California-based engineering and construction firm, and actress Laura Harris.

Actors Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest are also among the first five customers.

"I am just really looking forward to a completely new alternative of transportation," said Laura Harris whilst adding that the car was both extraordinary and exquisite.

Spallino says the drive is fantastic with great acceleration, great handling and great comfort.

Harris, Spallino and Yerxa were flown to the ceremony,courtesy of Honda.

The biggest obstacles standing in the way of wider adoption of fuel cell vehicles are cost and the dearth of

hydrogen fuel stations. For the Clarity's release in California, Honda said it received 50,000 applications

through its Web site but considered only buyers living near hydrogen fuel stations in Torrance, Santa Monica and

Irvine.

Initially, however, the Clarity will go only to a chosen few starting July and then launch in Japan in the autumn.

Although Honda Motor Co. was the first Japanese automaker to launch a gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the U.S. in

1999, it has been outpaced by the dominance of Toyota's popular Prius.

Toyota announced in May that it has sold more than 1million Prius hybrids, while both the Honda Insight and the

hybrid Accord have been discontinued due to poor sales.

Honda plans to deliver at least 200 FCX Clarity over the next three years in Japan and the US combined as initiatives for achieving more widespread use of fuel cell vehicles in the future.

The FCX Clarity is part of Honda's plan to keep pace with rivals in green technology. It also plans to launch a

gas-electric hybrid-only model, as well as hybrid versions of the Civic, the sporty CR-Z and Fit subcompact.

Keyword science technology