Toyota doubles range of fuel cell hybrid
Twice as much range as this FCHVToyota's latest fuel cell hybrid vehicle is now achieving a range of 516 miles compared to a previous range of 205 miles according to the AP. Additionally, the new fuel cell hybrid is able to start and run in weather as cold as -22 degrees, an important benchmark for fuel cell vehicles, which haven't run well in cold weather in the past. Toyota will begin leasing the new fuel cell vehicle in Japan later this year.
Labels: fuel cells, Hybrid Vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
7:06 AM
5 Comments:
I know there are a lot of fuel cell vehicle haters out there - I used to be one - but there are two trendsetters in the auto industry right now: Honda and Toyota. Yes, GM is making a strong push back into the innovation field with the Volt, but I find it very intersting how much more aggressive Japan and its two top automakers have become regarding fuel cell technology.
At one time, GM was far and away the fuel cell leader, but no longer.
Obviously, being situated in small country could make a conversion to a hydrogen highway far easier than a big country like America, but there seems to be no question in Japan that the hydrogen economy is the future.
The US has missed the boat on small cars and hybrid cars in the past. We're always chasing the trend, rather than leading the trend.
Are fuel cell vehicles next?
And what about ethanol fuel cells? Will we see them in the observable future?
i think that biofuels are going to play a role.
from what i hear about japan, now the current fuel cell leader in my opinion, the future is solar/algae farms.
obviously, there are 'discoveries' still required to make fuel cell vehicles a potentially - via economies of scale - cost-effective reality. so a lot of change is still possible and with all of the interesting science coming out of universities all over the world right now i think a lot of things are still possible.
I like the concept of the fuel cell vehicle, since the exhaust is only water vapor and nothing else. I suppose my two chief gripes about the technology are: lack of refueling infrastructure; the hydrogen mainly comes from fossil fuels.
And those are big issues.....
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