Toyota Drives Ultimate Eco-car a Step Closer
by Tony Bosworth, Sydney, Australia on 05.29.07
Toyota has brought what it claims – with some justification, if it works –the ultimate eco-car a step closer to reality. The fuel cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV) was seen by Treehuggers last year following our report on testing of the vehicle in California’s Death Valley.
Toyota says the FCHV is the closest vehicle yet to the ultimate eco-car. It features an electric-motor hybrid system powered by a battery and fuel cells supplied with high-pressure hydrogen gas. The FCHV has moved a step closer to a real on-sale date as it starts long-term trials with a transport company in Nagoya, Japan.
The FCHV, doesn’t emit any atmospheric pollutants at all and is based on the mid-sized Highlander SUV (known as the Kluger in some other markets). Toyota plans to use the vehicle to obtain a wide range of data necessary for commercial production of FCHVs, which should now be no more than five years away.
Toyota pursued efficiency right down to the smallest details, saving about 40kg of weight by using aluminium for the roof, bonnet, fenders and side doors, for example. A large rear spoiler suppresses turbulence and a flat underbody reduces wind resistance, resulting in a 0.326 coefficient of drag - excellent for an SUV. Fuel-efficient tyres reduce rolling resistance.
Interestingly, carbon dioxide is used as an air-conditioning refrigerant, avoiding the use of CFCs or HFCs (chlorofluorocarbons or hydrofluorocarbons), a move which reduces the potential effect on global warming to a level of 1/1300th compared with a conventional air conditioning system. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which consume very little power, are used for the rear combination lamps.
Safety was also a major requirement of course, so crash testing of the Toyota FCHV was particularly rigorous, including new safety confirmation tests for high-voltage components and for protection against hydrogen leaks. If a collision occurs, sensors in the Toyota FCHV's front, rear and sides detect impact and instantly shut the valves on the high-pressure hydrogen tanks.
For additional safety, the valves are also closed if a leak is detected by any of the hydrogen sensors placed on the fuel-cell stack, bonnet, high-pressure hydrogen tanks and cabin ceiling. The high-pressure hydrogen tanks are designed for maximum safety to avoid rupture even if the vehicle suffers a serious rear-end collision.
The Toyota FCHV's current cruising range is about 200 miles, or 330km.
This is excellent news. Cars like Necar (hydrogen powered but with a combustion engine) still produce pollutants (NOx). HopefullyToyota will also make smaller cars.
Ok, as far as a fuel cell hybrid drivetrain GM is already testing them as well. There is a big BUT here, until there is a clean source of H2 these fail to be Eco-car at all. Currently most H2 is in the US is produced by steam reformation of natural gas which releases tons of CO2 in the process. Lets save the back pats for that day.
The C02 air conditioner imight represent a huge breakthrough. Earlier C02 charged compressors were big and heavy and took a lot of amps to start the cycle. Presumably there has been a breakthrough to lighweight the compressor and cut is load requirements...or the fuel cell can meet it.
I wonder why they made it an SUV? I'm still waiting for the car that is Prius but is smaller and gets 100+ mpg.
can't they offer an all electric Rav4 ?
oupss sorry, TOYOTA already made an effective electric rav4 before TEXACO sued Panasonic for using the NiMH technology effectively and revealing the world the battery technology already exist can can outlast the life of the vehicule giving decent driving range with good acceleration.
knowing the NiMH batteries are recyclable, the rav4 WAS the Ultimate Eco-car.
let say corporations and associated lobyists are giant @$$-H0L3$.
after trying to make me believe ETHANOL is the solution (33% less MPG... oupss) and telling me they don't have the battery technology to make the prius a good plug-in hybrid, they will try to make me believe hydrogen is the solution....
no thank you
http://ev1.org/msg/19.htm
its too bad, technology that would be considered a boon for our civilization is locked up under patents owned by people who gain from having said patents locked up.
Great news! Now all that has to happen is
1. An efficient and enviro friendly way to produce Hydrogen
2. An entire new Hydrogen infrastructure needs to be built
3. A safe and effective Storage system at these yet to be created Hydrogen stations
All that should only take, what 20 - 30 years right?
Ever notice "the enviro solution" always seems to be "only 20 years away" kinda like how flying cars have been "right around the corner" since what 1950?
Hey Lil' Hugger, let's try and keep it positive...complaining doesn't solve anything...plus, a new breakthrough in hydrogen creation might solve some of those problems see link.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/AUTOS/05/18/bc.fuel.hydrogen.reut/index.html
this is better than nothing, but considering toyota and the rest already have made EVs in the past, it feels like they are sitting on their hands.
combustion H2 engines might make a little bad emission from burn impurities from the intake if the Oxygen isnt stored, a cheap and available conversion with H2 replacing LPG fillers would allows ppl to make a change right now. and with reductions would be huge! to have all those gas cars on H2 without having to scope out for a new fuelcell. it will decades for the gas cars to get off the roads if there is no conversion.
then with H2 and electric available at the pumps all the ultra zero cars can easily roll out.
but noooo, lets spend decades on research to make an overly complex car. sounds like they are just to make reasons why we have to use oil.
pitty normal gas conversions needs a pertrol run every few fills. but that cant be hard to get over.
Don't forget to take responsibiilty for the emissions you produced today, while you're waiting for that techno-magic bullet round the corner.....