[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/toyota-reveal-new-fuel-cell-family-saloon-concept\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/toyota-reveal-new-fuel-cell-family-saloon-concept\/","headline":"New Toyota Family Saloon Concept","name":"New Toyota Family Saloon Concept","description":"The Tokyo Motor Show is a place where Japanese motor manufacturing regularly meets art in an array of concepts that we can pretty much always expect to entertain. Though it seems that Toyota have taken the (deliberately?) obtuse approach with the Fine-Comfort Ride. Without beating about the bush, it\u2019s not the most sleek or attractive ride out there, and in an area of design where the \u2018concept vehicle\u2019 will often forgo practicalities and give us a car that is beautiful […]","datePublished":"2017-10-24","dateModified":"2017-10-26","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/toyota-fuel-cell-concept-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/toyota-fuel-cell-concept-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/toyota-reveal-new-fuel-cell-family-saloon-concept\/","about":["LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":408,"keywords":["Fuel cell","Tokyo Motor Show","toyota","Toyota Fine-Comfort Ride"],"articleBody":"The Tokyo Motor Show is a place where Japanese motor manufacturing regularly meets art in an array of concepts that we can pretty much always expect to entertain.Though it seems that Toyota have taken the (deliberately?) obtuse approach with the Fine-Comfort Ride. Without beating about the bush, it\u2019s not the most sleek or attractive ride out there, and in an area of design where the \u2018concept vehicle\u2019 will often forgo practicalities and give us a car that is beautiful just for the sake of it, Toyota have given us – an oblong box. Setting looks aside for a moment, let\u2019s look at what the Fine-Comfort Ride offers.This is a fuel cell car and as such, each fuel cell battery is hydrogen powered and feeds an electric motor that looks after each individual wheel. Toyota claim a range of 600 miles, which is great news, but considering that at the latest count only 36 hydrogen fuel stations currently exist in the USA, a decent mileage is a minimum requirement. More are planned of course, not just in the USA but also across Europe and Japan, but I can\u2019t help being reminded of the similar issues that LPG faced in the early 2000s.The Fine-Comfort Ride frees up a fair bit of interior space putting the motors at each wheel, and with a wider set and infinitely adjustable seats, the saloon is clearly aiming for the roomy, luxury family car market.Toyota isn\u2019t new to the fuel cell car game though, with the Mirai currently in production. But at a cost of around \u00a366,000 to own, Toyota expects to only sell around 100 Mirai a year across Europe. At the time of the Mirai\u2019s release, only Hendon, Heathrow and Swindon could provide refuelling facilities in the UK.Negatives aside, the hydrogen fuel cell car is a great idea, producing emissions\u00a0 of pure water. Recently in February, the first M25 hydrogen refuelling pump was unveiled at Cobham services. Filling up only takes a couple of minutes at such high tech pumps as opposed to around 30 for a traditional electric vehicle; though there is still only a handful of these pumps available in London in 2017.I guess we are fast approaching the critical point that LPG didn\u2019t quite reach; where there needs to be a commitment to a notable number of fuel cell refilling pumps to make buying (and producing) fuel cell cars a viable option for the public."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"New Toyota Family Saloon Concept","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/toyota-reveal-new-fuel-cell-family-saloon-concept\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]