Official: Toyota FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) Thread
01-07-15, 05:19 AM
#106
Audi (VAG) in an interview said they had FCV technology that is ready, but won't implement it due to lack of infrastructure. Those cowards, waiting for Toyota to do everything and then just get in. Now with released quality patents and not crap like Tesla, they give "incentives" for all to jump on the tech. But then the question rises, once all will have FCV vehicles, what will be Toyota's competitive advantage? Toyota has done so much for the automotive industry, yet they are never remembered. Has Toyota kept something for itself? I hope so.
As to the patents related to vehicles, they are free until 2020... so it is not like it will last forever.
01-15-15, 08:28 AM
#108
Toyota Gets 1,500 Orders for the Mirai in Japan in One Month
Toyota has announced that the Mirai fuel-cell sedan has racked up approximately 1,500 orders in Japan, a month after sales began on December 15, 2014.
The number far exceeds Toyota’s plans: at the time of the vehicle’s launch, the automaker said it expected to sell approximately 400 units in Japan by the end of 2015. Due to the large volume of orders received, Toyota is now forecasting a significantly longer time to delivery than originally expected.
About 60 percent of the orders came from government offices and corporate fleets, and 40 percent from individual consumers. Orders are mostly from Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture and Fukuoka Prefecture. The Mirai is priced from 7,236,000 yen (approximately $62,040) in Japan, including consumption tax.
In the United States, the Toyota Mirai is priced from $57,500, but Toyota says it could qualify for combined state and federal incentives of up to $13,000, in which case the purchase price would potentially drop to about $45,000. Alternatively, Toyota will offer a $499 per month/36 month lease option, with $3,649 due at lease signing.
The Mirai’s fuel cell stack system combines hydrogen gas from tanks with oxygen to produce electricity that powers a 113kW (152hp) electric motor driving the front wheels. The tanks can be refueled in about five minutes offering a range of up to 300 miles or 483 km.
The number far exceeds Toyota’s plans: at the time of the vehicle’s launch, the automaker said it expected to sell approximately 400 units in Japan by the end of 2015. Due to the large volume of orders received, Toyota is now forecasting a significantly longer time to delivery than originally expected.
About 60 percent of the orders came from government offices and corporate fleets, and 40 percent from individual consumers. Orders are mostly from Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture and Fukuoka Prefecture. The Mirai is priced from 7,236,000 yen (approximately $62,040) in Japan, including consumption tax.
In the United States, the Toyota Mirai is priced from $57,500, but Toyota says it could qualify for combined state and federal incentives of up to $13,000, in which case the purchase price would potentially drop to about $45,000. Alternatively, Toyota will offer a $499 per month/36 month lease option, with $3,649 due at lease signing.
The Mirai’s fuel cell stack system combines hydrogen gas from tanks with oxygen to produce electricity that powers a 113kW (152hp) electric motor driving the front wheels. The tanks can be refueled in about five minutes offering a range of up to 300 miles or 483 km.
01-15-15, 10:46 AM
#109
it seems FCV is here to stay... with good initial orders from Japan, and advanced buildout of gas stations, Japan sales will only go up. With more sales come advanced production methods, comes cheaper building of FCV. If I remember correctly, Toyota engineers said they expect cost of FC system to be comparable to gasoline-hybrid in 2018. If that happens, then obviously technology will become popular.
01-15-15, 03:07 PM
#111
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
it seems FCV is here to stay... with good initial orders from Japan, and advanced buildout of gas stations, Japan sales will only go up. With more sales come advanced production methods, comes cheaper building of FCV. If I remember correctly, Toyota engineers said they expect cost of FC system to be comparable to gasoline-hybrid in 2018. If that happens, then obviously technology will become popular.
i'm all for hydrogen fuel cars, hoping though they will soon look better than this hideous thing.
01-15-15, 03:08 PM
#112
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
why would you get free hydrogen?
01-16-15, 03:46 PM
#115
"good initial orders" is a bit of a stretch since 60% of the 1500 sales are to government, so that's 600 consumer orders - not exactly knocking the house down, but it's a start.
i'm all for hydrogen fuel cars, hoping though they will soon look better than this hideous thing.
i'm all for hydrogen fuel cars, hoping though they will soon look better than this hideous thing.
With infrastructure building rapidly in Japan, we will likely see a lot more sales than they planned by 2017.
FCV has catch 22 with infrastructure and number of cars on the road - you cant have many cars without enough stations and you cant have enough stations without many cars. With sales being "brisk", it will speed up station development as well. Japan plans to have 100 stations by the end of 2015, and thats very nice number.
By 2018, it is quite likely that 2nd stage of FCV sales will begin, at point where Toyota expects cost of the system to be same as hybrids today and where you will have hundreds of stations in Japan, US, Korea and Germany. So it becomes viable for people to own one if they live at these locations.
We can all laugh at all of this today, but you know 10 years is nothing, and 2005 wasnt that long ago... 2025 is going to come soon and the way things are looking right now, fuel cells might have comparable sales to evs today (worldwide).
01-16-15, 04:16 PM
#116
Lexus Champion
01-22-15, 09:52 AM
#117
Toyota to More Than Quadruple Production of New Mirai Fuel Cell Car
On Thursday, Toyota announced plans to significantly increase production of its Mirai fuel cell car after a successful launch in Japan this past December.
The Japanese automaker said the new plan calls for production to increase from 700 units this year to approximately 2,000 in 2016 and around 3,000 in 2017.
"Considering the approximately 1,500 orders received in the first month of sales in Japan, and the upcoming launches in Europe and the United States later this year, it was decided that the supply structure should be adjusted to reflect the level of demand for the vehicle," Toyota said in a statement.
Toyota's original sales projections for Japan were only 400 cars during its first year in the market. Many analysts believe that one of the biggest problems that fuel cell cars face is the limited availability of hydrogen fueling stations, but Toyota said it is considering this issue.
"Following the production increases, sales plans for Japan, the US and Europe will be formulated, taking into consideration the level of hydrogen infrastructure development, energy policies, car purchasing subsidies, consumer demand, environmental regulations and other factors in each region."
The Mirai's powertrain system combines hydrogen and oxygen from the air to generate electricity that can power the car's electric motor for approximately 300 miles (483 km) on a single fill-up.
The Japanese automaker said the new plan calls for production to increase from 700 units this year to approximately 2,000 in 2016 and around 3,000 in 2017.
"Considering the approximately 1,500 orders received in the first month of sales in Japan, and the upcoming launches in Europe and the United States later this year, it was decided that the supply structure should be adjusted to reflect the level of demand for the vehicle," Toyota said in a statement.
Toyota's original sales projections for Japan were only 400 cars during its first year in the market. Many analysts believe that one of the biggest problems that fuel cell cars face is the limited availability of hydrogen fueling stations, but Toyota said it is considering this issue.
"Following the production increases, sales plans for Japan, the US and Europe will be formulated, taking into consideration the level of hydrogen infrastructure development, energy policies, car purchasing subsidies, consumer demand, environmental regulations and other factors in each region."
The Mirai's powertrain system combines hydrogen and oxygen from the air to generate electricity that can power the car's electric motor for approximately 300 miles (483 km) on a single fill-up.
02-24-15, 09:08 AM
#118
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The assembly line for the Toyota Mirai is divided into three main sections: trim, chassis/fuel cell assembly, and final assembly. In each section, there are sub-assembly areas for parts installation. This video shows an overview of the production line as well as the parts selection process located close to the assembly line.
Before each Toyota Mirai body is brought to the former LFA Works assembly line, it is painted at the mass production line at Motomachi Plant. The vehicle doors are then removed to enable more efficient interior work for Toyota’s highly skilled craftspeople, as well as preventing doors from being damaged. This video also showcases: wire harness, dash silencer, brake fluid tank, rear combination lamp, instrument panel, main battery, roof lining, and rear bumper installation.
The Toyota Mirai fuel cell sedan features a CFRP Stack Frame which is produced at the assembly area of Toyota’s Motomachi Plant, formerly the LFA Works. Following the installation of the fuel cell stack, the boost converter, hydrogen tank and tubes are fitted to the vehicle. This video also shows the hydrogen leak test which is performed using helium. Next, the vehicle’s fuel cell stack and hydrogen tank are installed at the same time, followed by preparation of the electric motor and marriage of the air compressor to the fuel cell stack. Before the chassis assembly is complete, the drive shaft, front axle, inverter, water heating unit, high voltage cable, front suspension, motor, rear axle, front bumper and wheels are installed.
Note: CFRP = carbon fiber-reinforced plastic.
Note: CFRP = carbon fiber-reinforced plastic.
The final processes before the Toyota Mirai fuel cell sedan rolls off the assembly line are the installation and assembly of the external power supply system, vehicle interior, engine bay, windshield, and rear windows. The glue used to affix the windows to the frame is 8 mm high and 12 mm wide, applied by highly skilled craftspeople at a consistent rate. This video also features the final interior trim installations, including: seats, doors, steering wheel and inverter cover. An ignition check is then performed on the vehicle before it is send for final inspection.
Detailed quality control and inspection is performed on the Toyota Mirai before it leaves the Motomachi Plant, on its way to customers. Toyota specialists use both visual and tactile inspection to ensure the vehicle is of the highest quality and without any defect before leaving the factory.
02-26-15, 10:15 AM
#120
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On February 24, Toyota President Akio Toyoda delivered a speech at a ceremony to mark the start of production of the Mirai-- a vehicle that heralds the start of a new age of vehicles.