Leading figures at automotive heavyweight Toyota have said that the delivery of a viable fuel cell vehicle is an urgent priority.

The firm issued strong backing for the hydrogen vehicle sector as it delivered a new Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV) to the National Fuel Cell Research Centre at the University of California in the US.

The vehicle, which will be leased by Horiba Instruments, marks Toyota's 18th FCHV on the road in the United States and Japan.

Delivering the new prototype, Toyota's sales executive vice president and COO Jim Press, underlined the importance of commercial development in the sector.

'We must challenge ourselves to develop a hydrogen vehicle that has the right packaging and pricing as soon as possible,' he commented.

'The key is to work together in partnership with educators, businesses and government agencies to make the hydrogen economy a reality.'

The Toyota FCHV, which has been certified as a zero-emissions vehicle by the California Air Resources Board, uses a system featuring four 5,000-psi hydrogen fuel tanks.  Within the fuel cell hydrogen reacts with oxygen over a platinum catalyst to produce electricity,  powering the vehicle's electric motor.  The vehicle's only emission will be water vapour.

Toyota says it has now begun work with the University of California, Irvine and the University of California, Davis to evaluate consumer acceptance of the new technology and also how the market dynamics of the fuel cell sector will develop.