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Toyota's production fuel cell car to cost between $50-100k

While the cost of building a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle continues to go down over time, reports over the last few years have steadily maintained that the first Toyota hydrogen-powered vehicles for customers should ring up for around $50,000. Company officials cited this figure way back in 2010, and have reiterated it in subsequent years.
So, while a recent Automotive News report about the cost of Toyota's 2015 Hydrogen car doesn't offer up any new figures, it does offer an interesting pricing wrinkle. According to the report, the "cost factor" for the hydrogen vehicles will be in the $50k ballpark, meaning the retail price could be anywhere from there, up to as much as around $100,000.

Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan Leaf top environmental performer, 50,000th Renault Zoe

Renault has produced its 50,000th Zoe electric car. A Frenchwoman named Sylvie took ownership of the milestone vehicle at the Flins plant where it rolled of the line. She says her children helped convince her to buy the all-electric vehicle, which Sylvie intends to use as a daily driver. The Renault Zoe is Europe's best selling EV since its launch in 2013. Renault reports a 98-percent satisfaction rate with the Zoe. Read more in the press release from Renault. Toyota will use a biosynthetic rubber called biohydrin in its engine and drive system hoses beginning in May 2016. Jointly developed by Toyota, biohydrin is a plant-based rubber with a 20-percent reduction in material lifecycle carbon emissions compared to petroleum-based rubber. Toyota plans to use the compound in even more components in the future, including brake and fuel line hoses. Read more from Toyota. So far in 2016, only 27.5 percent of hybrids and EVs are traded in for another electrified vehicle, according to Edmunds. That's down from 38.5 percent in 2015. 33.8 percent of electrified vehicles are traded in for SUVs. Despite the trend of EV and hybrid owners switching back to traditionally powered vehicles, average fuel economy isn't suffering. "This is an economics trend, since today's low cost of gas no longer makes it worth paying the price premium of hybrids and EVs," says Edmunds Director of Industry Analysis Jessica Caldwell. "And there are so many fuel-efficient vehicles on the market today that environmental concerns weigh less than they might have in years past. When you're buying a vehicle that can get over 30 mpg, you can still say you're doing your part to help the environment." Read more from Edmunds. Environmentally, electrified vehicles outperform their conventional combustion counterparts throughout their lifecycle. A study from the Automotive Science Group (ASG) finds that while production of advanced powertrains comes with a greater financial burden, most vehicles make up for it through efficiencies during their use phase. The ASG lists the 2016 Nissan Leaf as its best performer, with 47 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the best-performing conventionally powered car, the Honda Fit. Rounding out the ASG's top five environmental performers are the Ford Focus Electric, Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius Two Eco, and Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid.

VW takes world sales crown from Toyota for first half of 2015

Despite uncertainty in major markets like Russia and China, Volkswagen is wearing the global sales crown for the first half of the year to overtake Toyota. Through the first six months of 2015, VW sold 5.04 million vehicles, which only narrowly beat its Japanese rival's 5.02 million, Reuters reports. The half-year trophy also placed the German brand one step closer to the goal of being the world's largest automaker. VW can't just cruise through the second half of 2015 to continue wearing the crown, though. The company is a major player in China, and that might start to be a disadvantage soon. Auto demand there is expected to be weak for the rest of the year, which could mean dire effects for companies around the world. According to Reuters, the Western European market shows few signs of a sudden surge, either. To turn things around, VW is working on a massive realignment to be more responsive by organizing its 12 brands under four separate holding companies. One factor in VW's favor is that Toyota is facing its own sales struggles across the globe. In the last fiscal year, the Japanese automaker had growing profits but actual volume was down. At the time, the company predicted a drop to 8.9 million vehicles for the current fiscal period. According to Reuters, Toyota has had problems growing in emerging markets and dealing with higher taxes on small vehicles in Japan. For all of 2014, Toyota held the sales trophy with 10.23 million sales, and VW was in second place with 10.14 million. General Motors came in third with 9.92 million. The year was the first time that VW or Toyota had ever surpassed 10 million vehicles over the stretch of a calendar. Related Video: