Toyota Introduces Electric Car Powered by Hydrogen, Air

Toyota unveiled on Monday at CES 2014 its latest Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) – the electric concept car which combines hydrogen with air to power the vehicle.

The concept car boasts no emissions but water vapor. Here’s how it works: Pure hydrogen is pumped into the tank and combined with air to create water, a reaction that also produces electricity. The fuel cell channels the electricity to a drive motor, powering the car. The vehicle is expected to go on sale in 2015.

Toyota has been driving this camouflaged fuel-cell prototype, based on the Lexus HS250h, around the United States for the past year. (Image Credit: www.kbb.com)

“Hydrogen works beautifully with oxygen to create water and electricity and nothing more,” a company spokesperson said. “For years, the use of hydrogen gas to power an electric vehicle has been seen by many smart people as a foolish quest. Yes, there are significant challenges. The first is building the vehicle at a reasonable price for many people. The second is doing what we can to help kick-start the construction of convenient hydrogen refueling infrastructure.”

The vehicle can travel 310 miles on one tank fuel, and fill-up time would take about 6 minutes. However, the major factor is building enough specialized fuel stations in a particular market for it to be convenient to the future car owner.

Having said that, the automotive company is working with the University of California Irvine’s Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) to map out locations for hydrogen fueling stations.

Toyota said the car will initially launch in California – the same state where Honda has offered its FCX Clarity. Toyota said the state has already approved more than $200 million in funding to build about 20 new stations by 2015 and increase that number to 40 by 2016.

Sources: mashable.com, cnet.com

Image Credit: www.toyota.com