Toyota Unveils Fuel Cell Hybrid with 500+ Mile Range

Written by Andrew Williams

Monday, 09 June 2008

Toyota has unveiled its new FCHV-adv, which it says can travel 515 miles between refuels, more than double the previous record for this type of vehicle. In tests, the car, which has just received vehicle-type certification from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, smashed the 205 mile range achieved by its predecessor.

The FCHV-adv (standing for Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle-advanced), combines on-board high-pressure hydrogen tanks with advanced fuel-cell stack technology. According to the Toyota researchers behind the breakthrough, 25% of the advance in range was achieved through a combination of improving fuel cell performance, playing around with the regenerative braking system and minimizing energy consumed by the auxiliary assemblage.

Ignition performance, an issue that has often plagued fuel cell development, has also been tested successfully by the Toyota team. The new core fuel-cell stack has an improved membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which means that the FCHV-adv can turn over in temperatures as low as -30 degrees C. This was achieved by preventing internally produced water interfering with electrical generation within the MEA at low temperatures.

There is no news yet on a potential release date or price for the FCHV-adv. However, Toyota is said to be working closely with governments and energy companies to see how it could best bring the vehicle to mass production. For now, if you want a fuel cell car, you'll want to look towards Honda.

Via Motortorque and Automotive Business Review

Comments (3)

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Plug-in fuel cell car?
written by Ovidiu S , June 09, 2008

Why don't they use the great properties of water, and supply a plug through which the car can connect to a power source and do some electrolysis, to make hydrogen? If there aren't any hydrogen refueling stations, where do I charge it from? I still think electric cars are the way... If you want to read more of this, go to greenoptimistic.com

Re: Plug-in fuel cell car?
written by Stever , June 10, 2008

Ovidiu;

In reply to your comment. I think the heart of the issue is that businesses want to keep making money by developing products where you will have to buy more things from them in the future.

Sure, people can make money by selling you an electric car, but more people can make more money by selling you fuel, maintenance etc.

I think this is behind why the US Pharmaceutical companies keep turning drugs that alleviate chronic conditions instead of curing them.

They simply invest their money looking for drugs that help, instead of looking for cures.

Businesses want repeat customers.

...
written by paolo , June 10, 2008

Of course electric cars are the way.... they're three times more efficient than hydrogen, before you even look at the science-fiction levels of infrastructure needed to get h-cars off the ground,,, but the big auto makers will keep holding out on electrics because daddy Big Oil can't make money out of recharging electric cars.

Until you take energy out of the economic equation there will be people trying to sell you fuel.... even if that fuel is bad for the planet, or horrendously inefficient and unworkable like hydrogen.

In the meantime, write your car makers telling them that you will not purchase a vehicle unless it is a battery electric.

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