Japanese carmaker Toyota has said it is looking to start commercial sales of fuel cell-powered cars by 2015.
Toyota set the target as it unveiled a concept fuel cell powered car, called the FCV, at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Its cells can be recharged within minutes and it can cover about 500km (300 miles) on a single charge, according to the firm.
Earlier this week, rival Hyundai said it plans to start mass production of such cars as early as next year.
The South Korean company has announced plans to start commercial sales of a fuel cell-powered version of its sports utility vehicle, the Tucson, in the US market.
Honda Motor is also expected to unveil its latest concept version of a fuel cell-powered vehicle later this week.
Many carmakers have been looking to develop the fuel cell technology further and bring it to mass production.
One of the main reasons is that it is emission-free.
The technology uses hydrogen to generate electricity to power the engine and the waste products are heat and harmless water.
At the same time, fuel cells charge much faster and travel a longer distance after being charged, compared with battery-operated electric cars.
I have to admit that I have been waiting for some real movement on this front for quite some time now. As a matter of fact I have been keeping my Durango tuned up and in good repair hoping that it will last long enough for me to move to a non-fossil fuel powered car with my next purchase.
I had some hopes of going electric, but this actually sounds much more promising. IF they can work out the issue of getting enough hydrogen filling stations built to meet demand.
Oh well, here's hoping that the oil companies don't do everything in their power to destroy our chances of moving to this new technology like they once did in response to the electric car.
By the way this is one of the few topics these days on which my daughter and I are in complete agreement.
I'm just happy there's still coal enough for my Stanley Steamer.
ReplyDeleteGryph:
ReplyDeleteCheck out the hemp car made in Canada...coming out later this year.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=kestrel+hemp+car
Honda just declared it, too.
ReplyDeleteI bought a 2008 Prius last year to replace a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee! The savings in gas alone covers my car payment AND insurance costs!! Two questions. The price of these types of vehicles? And how accessible will fuel become? The price has to reasonable and powering them has to be convenient or they will not gain a lot of popularity. However, I have to say that with three major car dealers rolling out these vehicles competition should keep prices down and of course, as you mention, the more demand for them should inevitably create a market for more filling stations.
ReplyDeleteMy immediate thought on reading the title of this post was automobiles are going to be created on very large 3D printers.
ReplyDeleteSilly me... that's not the future... that's the future of the future.
Coffee time.
The oil companies can go suck it.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't think we live in a facist society, just look at the power of the oil companies. And they pay literally NO taxes.
You might be waiting a while for a fuel cell station in Alaska. Check into a Tesla sedan. I am sure you are aware they are building them in the old NUMMI plant with Toyota. (GM, you morons, both for selling your stake in Lotus AND bailing out of the NUMMI plant!) They have already installed a number of free recharging stations is Texas. However, I am somewhat a fan of hybrids because you don't have to worry about recharging at all. The biggest problem with the hybrids is that with both systems, they are so stinking heavy for their sizes!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of innovation and the future, this is SO inspiring!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFpe3Up9T_g#t=55
http://www.upworthy.com/if-3-little-girls-did-this-to-my-house-id-do-everything-i-could-to-get-them-full-rides-to-stanford?c=ufb1
Only problem is that the source of hydrogen is broken down oil.
ReplyDeleteSo this will not stop drilling and price will be more.
0 emissions from the car, but the process to turn crude oil to hydrogen is very dirty.
If we can get water separation working more efficiently, that would be great.
Frankly, I am not so sure this is a good idea. Where will the hydrogen come from? Getting it from water may not be a good idea. Many parts of the world are already facing water constraints.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you get it from water, you need to expend energy breaking up the water. That requires electricity. If you use coal plants to get the hydrogen, you are really hurting the environment.
And if you are going to use electricity to break down the water, isn't that an additional step? Why not just generate electricity to power the car? I think car companies should look into batteries instead of fuel cells.
First, SALT water electrolyzes more easily than fresh water.
DeleteSecond, Electrolysis uses DC power.
Third, multi-megawatt wind mills can produce plenty of DC power. They can be set up in our SW in areas that are undesirable for habitation (by most people!) AND aren't going to endanger any sensitive environments.
Fourth, cabling that DC power to the Gulf will provide a decent amount of power to a plant there.
Fifth, the other minerals acquired from the electrolytic process would help defray the costs. Tons of precious metals exist in suspension in sea water!
This was an idea proposed to Congress in the fifties. And yes, then it WAS the oil companies who stymied it. Claimed no one could build wind mills that powerful. And even though the wind industry at the time tried to refute the oil companies' claim's the money from the oil industry spoke louder. (There were megawatt windmills in the forties!)
The oil industry also claimed that transporting the hydrogen was unsafe. Said the vibrations would cause the tanks to rupture. The Hindenburg was used as an warning example. (That argument is no longer valid, of course, since we have the shuttle engine technology and they certainly can't claim THAT is free of vibration! Before you bring it up, the shuttle explosion was caused by a leaky gasket, not a cracked tank, something that would have to be watched - CLOSELY!)
Then, as Gryphen points out, the amount of fresh water would increase and your point about excess water usage becomes moot as well.
Oh. One other thing. Have you ever looked at the hazardous waste from batteries and battery manufacture? Any idea how DEADLY lithium is?
I agree that the technology at this point can go either way, but the pollution free angle is the end result I prefer. Are there problems inherent in this electrolysis idea? Sure. Everything has problems when it first comes out. But given a choice between batteries and hydrogen? Give me hydrogen!
BTW, has anyone heard anything more about the solar generation systems (3) that were being built? The ones that claimed to have solved the question of where to get the power when the sun goes down?
I was hoping Subaru would come up with a great hybrid version of the Forester.
ReplyDeleteI love these fuel cell cars. And you are right, the energy companies will try to tank this too. Notice we aren't seeing any more "green energy" ads from BP?
I went the TDI VW route, have been doing the same thing. I've been playing the lottery (I saw a Tesla at the car show, at eye level and squatted....haven't been the same since)
ReplyDeleteMy neighbors have the Volt and have RAVED about how well it's worked out for them, but once these fuel cell cars hit the market and become more affordable, they'll outpace everything we have now.