Toyota and Honda were given the go-ahead from Japan's transport authorities Friday to market certain types of fuel-cell cars without limitation. The two Japanese carmakers said they would aim to lease the environmentally friendly no-emission compact vehicles while stepping up efforts to lower costs for mass production in the future.
Honda Motor Co said its FCX fuel-cell cars cost "hundreds of millions of yen" apiece at present. A hundred million yen is worth about 920,000 dollars.
Honda's FCX and Toyota's FCHV received "type certification", a seal of approval by the transport ministry for a certain type of vehicle, the two firms said.
These models had to be previously certified unit by unit by the ministry for sale.
But the ministry set safety standards in March for cars using compressed hydrogen gas and the two types were the first to clear the hurdles.
Hybrid cars are equipped with an electric motor and a standard petrol engine, making them much more economical and environment-friendly than conventional gasoline engines.
The fuel cell produces electricity through a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, which leaves water as its only by-product.
Toyota said its FCHV cars, which can run 330 kilometers (206 miles) without refuelling, would be leased to public offices as well as energy-related companies starting in July.
One of them will be leased to the Ministry of the Environment for 1,050,000 yen (9,600 dollars) a month.
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