Toyota launches updated version of zero-emissions FCHV fuel-cell vehicle
06/06/2008, 11:44 AM
By Drew Johnson
Toyota announced on Friday that it has developed a new hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle that is far more advanced than the automaker’s previous-generation fuel-cell vehicle. The new system now allows the vehicle — dubbed the FCHV-adv — to travel 516 miles on a single tank of hydrogen and it can operate in conditions as cold as -22 degrees F.
Through changes to the vehicle’s fuel-cell unit, braking system and a few other tweaks, Toyota engineers were able to improve the fuel-cell’s fuel efficiency by 25 percent, according to Automotive News.
Those changes combined with a bigger fuel tank and the doubling of storage pressure netted a new range of 516 miles — up from the previous FCHV’s (pictured) range of 205 miles. Top speed is a respectable 97 mph.
In comparison, Honda’s FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell sedan has a range of 385 miles and can operate in conditions from -22 degrees F to 203 degrees F. The Honda tops out at 99 mph.
The new FCHV-adv is slated to be leased to government agencies in Japan starting later this year.
06/06, 12:05 PM
posted by:
Jigs
whoopy do. tell me when it does 0-60 and the car looks more like a viper or sumthing as sexy, rather then a box or a 80’s pc mouse.
06/06, 12:17 PM
posted by:
xyunya
What happens when it -25 F? Are we sure that global warming will take of those cold nights? And where pure hydrogen will come from? We are not talking CNG. I don’t think it is better researched and thought out idea then E85. Now we have starving cows and later we will need nukes to work just to distill water and then break it down into hydrogen and oxygen. After that hydrogen will be compressed into a cylinder and after cycle in fuel cell will generate water and return less energy in form of electricity then was originally used to distill water and create hydrogen.
06/06, 6:02 PM
posted by:
NoNameDenton1
Did they fix the issue of finding places to refill this thing anywhere if needed.
06/06, 7:41 PM
posted by:
Brendino
Great! Toyota, Honda, GM, BMW, and Ford are all ready with decent hydrogen fuel cell technologies. Now all we need is a freaking infrastructure!
Oh yeah and a decent way to produce hydrogen fuel.
06/06, 7:49 PM
posted by:
jdasch1
Oh Yawn….the Hydrogen hype is alive at LLN’s. No infrastructure, no insurance companies will touch them, and no dealership wants them inside the building…all hype and no future until the liability issues are taken care of.
06/07, 4:20 PM
posted by:
jayjc08
xyunya- Many of those E85 studies about the cost and infrastructure have been funded by oil companies. Not hinting at some conspiracy, but it’s simple fact. And you can cool your pessimistic views down, and accept the fact that people are at work at a system that will give nearly as much energy as it gets to a power source, and then recycle much of that energy. For now however, most alternate fuels take a bit more energy to create than they make.
jdasch1- “The tin lizzy has an explosion happening every minute!”
06/08, 10:56 PM
posted by:
Impulsive
Industry insiders have commented that hydrogen won’t work … too energy intensive … move on.
06/08, 11:15 PM
posted by:
NoNameDenton1
Like you know what industry insiders are saying Impulsive all you know how to do is troll on this site.
06/09, 12:32 AM
posted by:
Impulsive
****wad, if you did ANY research or understood what people were stating, you’d understand … unfortunately, you’re illiterate. Kill yourself, loser.
06/09, 2:45 PM
posted by:
zoomzoomer
So if it a new version, why didn’t they put it in the updated Highlander/Kluger body shell?