New Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle Trial In Japan

http://www.h2daily.com/news/new-toyota-fuel-cell-vehicle-trial-in-japan-20070419-272-50.html



Toyota Motor Corporation has announced that its FCHV fuel cell hybrid vehicle will be used by Yamato Transport Co. in a pilot project to test the technology in a real-world setting. The Toyota FCHV to be tested in the project has been modified to haul freight and will be registered as a commercial vehicle.
The vehicle features a hybrid electric drive train, which relies on an electric motor powered by nickel-hydride batteries. The batteries are recharged by a 90 kilowatt fuel cell stack that runs on high-pressure hydrogen gas from on-board tanks. The vehicle produces essentially no emissions and is highly efficient.
As part of the Japan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Demonstration Project, the vehicle will be operated on public roads near Central Japan International Airport south of Nagoya. Fueling will take place at a hydrogen fueling station built at the airport as part of an earlier initiative.
The new FCHV vehicle will not be the only hydrogen vehicle operating at the airport. Fuel cell hybrid buses developed by Toyota and Hino Motors, Ltd., have been in regular use there since July of last year.
Toyota plans to hand the FCHV cargo vehicle over to Yamato Transport, which will borrow the vehicle for the extent of the trial, at a ceremony on April 24th.

I wonder if anyone has thought about the potential environmental impact of one day having hundreds of millions of cars on the road spewing water vapor out of the tail pipes. I have already heard some say that could cause even more warming than CO2 and other ICE byproducts. :disappoin

^^^Ironic isn't it? Anyway good article and at least automakers are taking steps,whether enough steps or not, that's a different thread.:thumbup:

Yeah, I've raised that question on one of the thread here before (buried somewhere in the archives).

Well, water vapour isn't too much of a concern unless you live in a valley, then you might experience more fog than usual haha.

Seriously though, why not get an EV? You've seen the Tesla Roadster, you know darn well what EVs can do (and that they're not slow or have poor range).

Yes, you still burn coal however, that's assuming you're getitng electricity from coal-fired power plants.

You can have solar powered recharging stations at cinemas/malls that have a HUGE roof, and have the car charge while you're shopping (if it needs charging) or watching a movie. It beats sitting by the gas pump for 2 mins pumping fuel.

So ya, we need to lower the cost of solar panels some how and increase their efficiency.

You can have solar powered recharging stations at cinemas/malls that have a HUGE roof, and have the car charge while you're shopping (if it needs charging) or watching a movie. It beats sitting by the gas pump for 2 mins pumping fuel.

So ya, we need to lower the cost of solar panels some how and increase their efficiency.
^^^ That's a fantastic idea. If you ever have the will (and the capital) to implement that to help make this world a better place, as an aspiring designer I'm more than willing to help if you need it, for the sake of this world :) Our future is in our hands.

I would definately buy an electric car if they are cheap enough.

I was thinking of getting solar power on my roof but i will ahve to sell this house maybe in a year and move into a condo because of housing prices on long island so I might not be able to.

But I would love to get solar panels on my roof and use those for my electric needs and then use that to charge my car.

Also like somebody i think said before. Why can't you have an electric car with solar panels as the roof , maybe with a clear replaceable cover on them.This way when your car sits in the sun it recharges.

Water vapor would not mater because then we can just take that water vapor out of the air and use it for drinking water.

^^^ That's a fantastic idea. If you ever have the will (and the capital) to implement that to help make this world a better place, as an aspiring designer I'm more than willing to help if you need it, for the sake of this world :) Our future is in our hands.

lol. I neither have the skills (not an EE) nor the capital (I'm not Bill Gates) to fund this :(.

But this idea was brought up by a fellow Prius driver. His Prius is actually his gas guzzler :lol:. Why? Cause his other vehicle is a RAV4 EV.

His entire house is solar powered and the solar panels on his roof charge his RAV4 EV.

I would definately buy an electric car if they are cheap enough.

I was thinking of getting solar power on my roof but i will ahve to sell this house maybe in a year and move into a condo because of housing prices on long island so I might not be able to.

But I would love to get solar panels on my roof and use those for my electric needs and then use that to charge my car.

Also like somebody i think said before. Why can't you have an electric car with solar panels as the roof , maybe with a clear replaceable cover on them.This way when your car sits in the sun it recharges.

Water vapor would not mater because then we can just take that water vapor out of the air and use it for drinking water.

they're cheap enough... just not umm.. well it doesn't meet my requirements anyway.

Cdn$20k, 40km/h tops, can't remember the range. It has headlights, wipers, brake lights, doors, wheels, steering wheel, heater. Yeah that's about it =(. Oh and it's running on Lead-Acid batteries.

So really, they're still NEVs.

lol. I neither have the skills (not an EE) nor the capital (I'm not Bill Gates) to fund this :(.

But this idea was brought up by a fellow Prius driver. His Prius is actually his gas guzzler :lol:. Why? Cause his other vehicle is a RAV4 EV.

His entire house is solar powered and the solar panels on his roof charge his RAV4 EV.
Either way, due to North American's shopping mall consumer culture, this idea will be world-changing if implemented on a very large scale. That is, if the consumers are willing to drive electric vehicles in the first place.

Nonetheless, there're still years until we as humans really need to rely on alternative solutions. Therefore nothing yet will come out of great ideas.

oh I forgot to mention, solar panels on the roof won't be enough to charge the battery even if it sat in the sun for the entire day (that and you leave the paint exposed to heat, bird poo, tree sap and fading of the interior haha).

The best is what MB and VW have done and implement the solar panel moonroof. That runs the fan so you don't have to turn on the car (I don't think)