Toyota, a Japan-based and one of the world’s top automakers, has always been working hard to improve its eco-friendly technology ever since it launched the Prius back in the year 1997. Besides trying hard to improve its green technology, the automaker in question has always been willing to make more of its vehicle lineups friendlier to the environment as well. Now, word in the street is that its luxury division, Lexus, is now prepping a fuel cell model for the year 2017, namely the fuel cell 2017 Lexus LS Luxury Saloon.
If you remember correctly, Toyota also introduced a fuel cell vehicle concept not long ago. During the last Los Angeles Auto Show event, the Japanese company introduced the Mirai FCV – the FCV stands for fuel cell vehicle. The Toyota Mirai FCV is the very first production car in the world that emits only water. This is possible to achieve, thanks to the fact that the car uses hydrogen as its power source.
Now, as reported by the Motoring, the company, via its Lexus division, is prepping a fuel cell version of the company’s LS limousine model, which is at the top of the range of vehicles offered by Lexus.
It is said that the upcoming fuel cell Lexus LS will also take advantage of the so-called Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), just like the Mirai does. However, for the LS, the system will be mated to the vehicle’s conventional engine configuration. Power will come from a 220kW electric motor and a 150kW fuel cell stack. The Japanese automaker claims that the vehicle will be able to cover a total distance of 380 km for what it’s worth.
It is expected that the fuel cell LS, the Lexus LS FCEV will be offered for sale come 2017. Lexus is likely to slot the car above its LS 600hL, which is a hybrid vehicle. It is also said that besides this upcoming LS FCEV, Toyota is planning to build a full-size fuel cell SUV sometime in the future.
