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.
