Photo: Toyota
The electrification of the auto industry is gaining more and more attention from “tech-heads” all over the world. And fuel cell vehicles are no exception, with Toyota’s FCV model being the most awaited model yet to come.
The guys over at Popular Science like the hydrogen fuel cell model from Toyota so much that they named it the 2014 Best of What’s New winner in the auto category. No Ferrari 458 Speciale, ultra-complicated 911 Targa or BMW i8 made it to the top position, which is kinda cool for an automaker that was best known for making bland cars for the masses.
“For 27 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us − those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our view of what's possible in the future,” said Cliff Ransom, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science. “The Best of What?s New Award is the magazine?s top honor, and the 100 winners − chosen from among thousands of entrants − each a revolution in its field.”
How is this better than with a standard plug-in electric vehicle? Because the energy is “stored” in the hydrogen, this makes the FCV feel more like a gasoline powered car when it comes to range and its availability. Just pump the tanks with hydrogen and you’re good to go for about 300 miles (483 km), instead of having to wait a few hours to recharge the batteries of a standard EV only for about half of the range.
The FCV model will be available on the streets of California in late 2015 costing about the same as an entry-level luxury sedan.
“For 27 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us − those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our view of what's possible in the future,” said Cliff Ransom, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science. “The Best of What?s New Award is the magazine?s top honor, and the 100 winners − chosen from among thousands of entrants − each a revolution in its field.”
In the details
For the uninitiated, the Toyota FCV is an all-electric four-door sedan that uses a hydrogen fuel cell to create its electricity onboard while on the go. The hydrogen is stored in two 70 MPa bulletproof tanks and gets mixed with the oxygen from the atmosphere inside the cell to create water (H2O) and electricity which is used to power the motors.How is this better than with a standard plug-in electric vehicle? Because the energy is “stored” in the hydrogen, this makes the FCV feel more like a gasoline powered car when it comes to range and its availability. Just pump the tanks with hydrogen and you’re good to go for about 300 miles (483 km), instead of having to wait a few hours to recharge the batteries of a standard EV only for about half of the range.
The FCV model will be available on the streets of California in late 2015 costing about the same as an entry-level luxury sedan.
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