I came across this new article about a newToyota Hybrid vehicle that the showcase stating that production would start 2009. As you can see with the demands from the buying public for something that is not petroleum driven, the car companies are starting to take action. As I read this article it just brought one thing to mind, and that is "how long has this technology been out there?" But first here is the article: "Toyota has developed a new fuel cell hybrid vehicle that travels more than double the distance of its predecessor model.
This increases the maximum cruising range from 205 miles to 515 miles.Limited cruising ranges of previous fuel cell systems presented obstacles to widespread fuel cell vehicle use.
The 'Toyota FCHV-adv' (fuel cell hybrid vehicle-advanced) improves the cruising range with its newly designed high-performance Toyota FC Stack. Fuel efficiency was improved by 25 per cent through improving fuel cell unit performance, enhancing the regenerative brake system and reducing energy consumed by the auxiliary system. Further changes include incorporating degradation control for the electrode catalyst and improving fuel cell durability.
What's more, equipping the vehicle with Toyota-developed high-pressure hydrogen tanks made it possible to travel approximately 515 miles on a single fuelling. This performance more than doubles that of the Toyota FCHV-adv's predecessor, the Toyota FCHV.
The Toyota FCHV-adv also deals with the low-temperature start issues typically associated with fuel cell vehicles. The building block of the Toyota FC Stack is the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA), where engineers focused on the basic problem of internally produced water interfering with electrical generation within the MEA at low temperatures. Research was carried out to understand the behaviour and amount of water generated in the fuel cell, allowing engineers to optimise the MEA design to improve low-temperature start-up. As a result, the Toyota FCHV-adv can start and operate in cold regions at temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius, meaning the vehicle can be used in a wider variety of conditions and climates."
OK so I started to look around and here is what I found:
1. Honda, the first to the market with a hydrogen-powered car, wants its customers to brew their own homemade fuel too. See All Video & Multimedia
2. BMW officially announced the Hydrogen 7 today. The car is touted as the first hydrogen-drive luxury performance automobile for everyday use. The BMW Hydrogen 7 will be built in a limited series, and sold to select customers in the U.S. and overseas in 2007.
3. Ford's Hydrogen Car Sets New Record Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - Iddo Genuth
Fusion Hydrogen 999 - Ford's 500-horsepower fuel cell race car, recently broke the land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats at a speed of 207 miles per hour (333 km/h). According to Ford the Fusion is the world's first and only fuel cell technology production based race car.
4. Daimler Chrysler officially handed the keys to the F-Cell, the company's limited production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, to researchers at UC Berkeley's California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH) today (Tuesday, Dec. 20), as part of a project to study the vehicle's use in real-world conditions. By Sarah Yang, Media Relations 20 December 2005
So as you can see there has been ongoing study into the feasibility of the Hydrogen Car, which has presented highly desirable effect's. I do believe that, not to long in the future (1-3 years) hydrogen will be the fuel of choice. Due to its availability, and the lack of harmful exhaust (water is the exhaust). So get ready to get on board the Hydrogen Train of the Future.
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