Is Toyota revolutionizing the automotive world now? Again?
It could be an initial spark, one in which only water vapor comes out of the exhaust at the end of the combustion process. And it could mean a revolution.
With the FCV, Toyota presents the first production automobile with a hydrogen drive. In principle it is Toyota FCV an electric motor, only instead of sockets, the driver looks for a hydrogen filling station to refuel. The combination of hydrogen and oxygen is used to generate electricity in the fuel cell - very simply explained - and this current then drives an electric motor. At the end of the process there is water vapor. Simple, simple, harmless water vapor.
Hydrogen instead of batteries
The advantage of a fuel cell vehicle lies in its classic use. A tank is filled, a chemical process takes place, energy is produced and the vehicle drives. The driver doesn't have to be interested in what goes on under the cover. The FCV gets enough “juice” from the hydrogen tank for the fuel cell to provide enough “juice” for the (at least) 500 hp electric motor for a range of around 136 kilometers.
First fuel cell vehicle in series!
Toyota is the first manufacturer to introduce a “series automobile” with this drive technology. From April 2015, the FCV will be available in stores in Japan for around €50.000. Europe and the USA are to follow later. And with that, Toyota could, as it did back then hybrid technology, become a pioneer for a new drive technology that is completely emission-free locally.