Toyota Motor Corporation held a media briefing in Tokyo concerning its fuel cell vehicle development.

'Mirai' is Japanese word for 'future'

Sources cited by Bloomberg are saying the 2015 Toyota fuel cell vehicle (FCV) will be commercialized with the "Mirai" nameplate.

At the end of last month Toyota exhibited the FCV with a production body in Colorado at the Aspen Ideas Festival and apparently the car will be called "Mirai" (Japanese for "future"). Initially, the model will go on sale at home in Japan before April 2015 at a starting price of approximately 7M yen (about 68,500 USD).

The Toyota Mirai promises to provide a maximum range of up to 300 miles (482 km) and will need around ten second for the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint while refilling the hydrogen tank will take a mere three minutes.

Following its introducing in Japan, the Toyota Mirai is scheduled to go on sale in United States and Europe by summer 2015.

Shinzo Abe, Japan's Prime Minister, recently test drove Toyota's new FCV sedan at a hydrogen station in Kitakyushu, Japan.

Likely undergoing some last minute testing

Toyota is putting the finishing touches on the 2015 FCV as our spies have caught the model undergoing testing near the company's European Technical Center.

Looking virtually identical to the model that was recently showcased at the Aspen Ideas Festival, the prototype is likely being fine-tuned ahead of its launch next year.

Toyota has been coy on specifications but they have previously said the car will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in approximately 10 seconds. The FCV will also have a range of approximately 300 miles (482 km) and can be refilled in less than five minutes.

Japanese pricing will start at approximately seven million yen ($67,468 / €50,837) while European and U.S. pricing will be announced closer to the car's launch next summer.

Toyota says it's the 'car of the future'

An undisguised black prototype of the 2016 Toyota FCV has been spotted testing in United States.

Edmunds editor Mike Magrath photographed the vehicle on a highway in California during the final testing phase as the model is slated to go on sale at first in Japan next April, followed by Europe and North America later that summer. It's essentially an evolution of the FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) concept and it is believed the production model will be commercialized with the "Mirai" name.

Toyota says the FCV / Mirai is the "car of the future" and at the same time represents "an important step forward for zero-emission vehicle technology." Final specifications have not been provided yet but from what we know so far the fuel cell vehicle will have a range of about 300 miles (482 km) and will do the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint in approximately 10 seconds. A full refill of the hydrogen tank will take roughly three minutes so it takes just a little bit more than a regular gas stop.

At home in Japan, the Toyota Mirai (Japanese for "future") will have an estimated starting price of seven million yen (about $65,300).

For the first time in the company’s history, Toyota is giving away one of its fuel-cell vehicles to a customer, with he or she owning the car rather than leasing it.

The car to be given away is Toyota’s new Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV), which will arrive in California in late 2015. Toyota and the Environmental Media Association (EMA) are offering the opportunity to own the company’s first mass-produced zero-emission hydrogen vehicle.

As the infrastructure to support the vehicle is currently only available in California, prize applicants must be residents of this state. Residents can purchase opportunities to win at www.biddingforgood.com for a cost of $100 per ticket or $500 for six. All the proceeds will benefit programs of the EMA, a nonprofit 501(c)3 dedicated to harnessing the power of celebrity and the media to promote sustainable lifestyles.

The winner will be announced on October 18 at the 24th annual EMA Awards at Warner Bros Studios. The EMA awards honor individuals from the entertainment industry for efforts to promote environmental messages.

“Hydrogen fuel cell technology is the next big leap in automotive history, and through this extraordinary drawing, we’re seeking bold drivers ready to embrace that future,” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of Automotive Operations, Toyota Motor Sales.

The Toyota FCV combines hydrogen and oxygen from the air to generate electricity that can power the car approximately 300 miles (483 km) on a single fill-up. The car only emits water vapor.