Photo: Toyota
Want to put your name in the automotive history the easy way? Toyota says you can be a fuel cell vehicle pioneer by winning the company’s first production FCV this month.
When Toyota rolled out the Prius hybrid in 1997, most people thought it sucks and it’s not going to have a future. Still, some visionary clients saw the big picture and aided the company kickstart the hybrid branch and bring it where it is today.
The same could happen with the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The initial conditions are almost the same and all Toyota needs is people to see how easy it is to live with one of these cars. This is why the Japanese company will offer the first production FCV model almost for free to a lucky bidder from California.
You might ask why the contest is limited to the golden state - the answer is that California is the only state to have an infrastructure to support an FCV. This translates to hydrogen stations, where the car’s pressurized tank can be filled and achieve it’s 300-mile range.
For the uninitiated, Toyota’s FCV promises to be the future of transportation by solving current electric vehicle problems like range and recharging time. To do this, the car will create its own electricity on-board using a fuel cell that combines hydrogen with oxygen from the atmosphere.
The process creates water, which is dumped through a pipe at the back, and electricity which is used to power the electric motor, which is said to be enough for about 300 miles (483 km) on a full tank. And, unlike in the case of classic electric vehicles, refueling will be a matter of minutes instead of hours.
Those 500 bucks spent sound a lot better than paying the full over-$70,000 estimated price of a new FCV. That and a generous dose of luck, because even so, we guess there'll be plenty of opportunity gamblers taking part in this highly-pressurized lottery.
The same could happen with the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The initial conditions are almost the same and all Toyota needs is people to see how easy it is to live with one of these cars. This is why the Japanese company will offer the first production FCV model almost for free to a lucky bidder from California.
You might ask why the contest is limited to the golden state - the answer is that California is the only state to have an infrastructure to support an FCV. This translates to hydrogen stations, where the car’s pressurized tank can be filled and achieve it’s 300-mile range.
The winning ticket
To enter the game, residents can purchase “opportunities” at BiddingForGood for a cost of $100 per ticket or $500 for six. The winner will be announced at the 24th annual EMA Awards on October 18th at Warner Bros Studios. The money raised in the campaign will fund nonprofit programs to promote sustainable lifestyles.For the uninitiated, Toyota’s FCV promises to be the future of transportation by solving current electric vehicle problems like range and recharging time. To do this, the car will create its own electricity on-board using a fuel cell that combines hydrogen with oxygen from the atmosphere.
The process creates water, which is dumped through a pipe at the back, and electricity which is used to power the electric motor, which is said to be enough for about 300 miles (483 km) on a full tank. And, unlike in the case of classic electric vehicles, refueling will be a matter of minutes instead of hours.
Those 500 bucks spent sound a lot better than paying the full over-$70,000 estimated price of a new FCV. That and a generous dose of luck, because even so, we guess there'll be plenty of opportunity gamblers taking part in this highly-pressurized lottery.
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