Toyota Plans Limited Consumer Sales of Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles by 2015
14 January 2009
Bloomberg. Toyota Motor Corp. is planning to begin limited sales of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to consumers by 2015.
“Limited commercialization begins in 2015 and maybe sooner,” spokesman John Hanson said in an interview today, citing comments by Executive Vice President Masatami Takimoto at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The exact timing, sales volume and price haven’t been decided, Hanson said.
In June 2008, Toyota formally introduced a new, advanced version of its Highlander-based fuel cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV) equipped with a newly designed higher-performance Toyota fuel cell stack. (Earlier post.)
The FCHV-adv provides a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency through improved fuel cell unit performance, enhancements to the regenerative braking system, and a reduction in energy consumed by the auxiliary systems. Equipped with TMC-developed 70 Mpa (10,000 psi) high-pressure hydrogen tanks, the FCHV-adv has a range of approximately 830 km (516 miles) based on the Japanese 10-15 cycle on a single fueling—more than double that of the older FCHV.
Toyota began leasing the FCHV-adv to Japan’s Ministry of the Environment on 1 September 2008. (Earlier post.)
Honda Motor Co. last year began leasing FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicles to Los Angeles-area customers and plans mass-market sales by about 2018. According to the Honda sales report, the company last year leased 5 FCX Clarity vehicles in the US, with one of those in December.
GM has 100 Equinox fuel-cell SUVs on loan to US consumers and businesses in its Project Driveway.
Oh i was forgetting about these hydrogen cars lol so they are still planning to sell...with all these EV breakthough? well i guess they will at least sell some since they put so much money...
Posted by: Sean Lee | 14 January 2009 at 06:49 PM
In what way is the fuel cell vehicle superior to a hybrid vehicle with a small high efficient ICE running at constant RPM to charge battery or super capacitor driven electric drive system? Fuel cells create large emounts of thermal waste (not as much as ICE, but close). Fuel cells run on hydrogen sourced from natural gas or oil (CO2 footprint is nearly the same), Fuel cell exhaust is cleaner (granted), fuel cells need entirely new hydrogen infrastructure (gasoline and diesel infrastructure is already in place). Fuel cells operate in a narrow temperature range (my ICE started this morning and it was -10 F outside).
Any fuel cell fans care to comment? If fuel cells have so little benefit, why bother? ICE running on biofuels beats fuel cell every which way. And ICE can also run on hydrogen if a miracle for cheap hydrogen from water is discovered.
Posted by: creativforce | 15 January 2009 at 09:40 AM
Automakers are not yet ready to wave the white flag on FCs. Too much invested. And the big carrot of a single point energy carrier - H2. So, in deep background there are all kinds of H2-producing electrolysis, catalytic conversion projects. Why else keep riding this horse?
Posted by: Reel$$ | 15 January 2009 at 05:59 PM
"There are always plenty of messengers available to tell the elites what they would like to believe.
...futurists who proclaim that a continually burgeoning human population is not a problem...
...and that our particular civilization is uniquely immune to resource limits.
--after all, a general atmosphere of optimism is good for both; votes and share prices."
Richard Heinberg
Posted by: Jorge | 15 January 2009 at 06:53 PM
Because no one realy cares how thier car works as long as it DOES and the world doesnt explode as a result and they can AFFORD to drive where the bloody hell they want when they want without dieing along the way.
Posted by: wintermane2000 | 15 January 2009 at 08:18 PM