TOKYO — Toyota will start selling its first mass-market emissions-free car in December, the auto giant announced on Monday night. Driving “green” won’t come cheap: Each hydrogen-powered Mirai, which means "future" in Japanese, will initially cost $57,500 in the U.S., according to Reuters. The zero-emissions vehicle will have a range of 400 miles and require three minutes to recharge, Toyota added. However, only a few dozen hydrogen filling stations have been built worldwide.

"In time, the fuel cell vehicle will become mainstream," Mitsuhisa Kato, a Toyota executive vice president, said at a press conference in Tokyo. "We wanted to take the first step. We want to be at the leading edge." The Mirai will go on sale in Japan on December 15, and the U.S. and Europe in 2015. Hydrogen power is seen as the ultimate clean fuel. While such vehicles emit no exhaust, fossil fuels are used in the production of hydrogen and to pressurize it. Toyota’s competitors Honda and Hyundai are also experimenting with fuel cell cars.

IN-DEPTH

- Arata Yamamoto

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.