Toyota surges ahead in fuel-cell development

Posted on Friday 28 September 2007


Toyota has reached a new milestone with the unveiling of an upgraded version of its fuel-cell prototype claimed to be 25% more fuel efficient than the current model. The car also has the added benefit of using less electricity to power its onboard equipment than previous versions.

After completing a test run on Friday, the new model was able to travel a distance of 480 miles on a singe tank of hydrogen. Two fuel-cell powered vehicles were able to travel the 350 miles between Osaka and Tokyo without needing to refuel and the tanks still had 30% of fuel upon arrival, reports the Associated Press.

Limited driving distance and cost have been major factors holding back fuel-cell technology. Toyota plans to continue its research to reduce the severity of these issues and also improve upon the technology’s durability and usability at low temperatures. Fuel-cell technology is touted by many as the powertrain of the future but the lack of proper hydrogen infrastructure and the expense of the technology itself will ensure it remains a gimmick paraded by carmakers pretending to be serious about alternative powertrains for some time to come.

Hydrogen Hybrid Toyota drives from Osaka to Tokyo on one tank
Posted Sep 28th 2007 11:57AM by Justin Gardiner

Technically this Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle made the 560km journey on four tanks of hydrogen, as that's how many high pressure pods are hidden away under the Toyota Kluger's rear seats. But the big news is that this car, and a back up sibling, managed to drive 350 miles from the hydrogen fueling station by the Osaka Prefectural Government Office to Toyota's Mega Web theme park in Toyota without needing to stop for more, err, gas. The car even had 30-percent of its fuel left -- running its A/C the entire time -- which mathematically gives it a 480-mile range. That's double the range of most current fuel-cell vehicles.

Thanks to improvements to the car's fuel cells and the management system that controls the hybrid's charging and discharging, the FCHVs used today are 25% more efficient than their predecessors, which have been roaming Japan's streets since 2001 undergoing testing. New stronger tanks that can hold hydrogen at twice the pressure of the old ones also helped the car reach such an impressive range.

The two cars left Osaka at 5:10 (Japan time) this morning, but still encountered bumper to bumper traffic on their way out of the Kansai region. The cars may not have needed to refuel, but the drivers did, making several stops on the 350-mile trip, but the drivers reckon they managed an average speed of 80km/h while on the road. Both cars arrived in Tokyo in time for a quick wash before their press conference at 3:30pm - though neither driver would admit to having taken the cars to their quoted maximum speed of 155km/h (approx. 90mph) on public roads.

Once the press conference was over, Toyota graciously handed the keys to one of the cars to this Autoblogger for a quick blast around the Mega Web complex. From our short acquaintance we can say that it was very quiet, surprisingly quick off the line thanks to 26.5kg-m of torque, but otherwise drove just like any other compact SUV.

No word when these cars will make it to market, and at what price. But mark our words, they are coming.