TOKYO, Dec 2: The world’s first commercial use of fuel-cell cars began on Monday with the lease by Japanese auto giants Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. of their environmentally friendly vehicles to the Japanese government.

But at around 40 times the cost of leasing a conventional vehicle, it will still be years before the cars are economically viable for most consumers, officials conceded. Toyota started leasing four fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHVs) to the cabinet office, the trade ministry, the transport ministry and the environment ministry.—AFP