Toyota Promises Affordable Fuel Cell Vehicle By 2015

By Eric Loveday

Eric Loveday

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Eric Loveday is a car enthusiast with a love for everything automotive. He purchased a 1970 Chevelle at age 16, quickly outgrew its dated engineering... More

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Toyota Highlander Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV)

Several automakers believe that fuel cell powered vehicles will become a viable solution for mass production in the distant future.  In particular, Honda and General Motors have both displayed progress in development and real world testing of fuel cell powered vehicles.  Toyota has also successfully tested prototype fuel cell vehicles.  Toyota, never one to be left behind, now promises an "affordable" fuel cell vehicle for retail sale by 2015.

To prepare for a launch in 2015, the company will slowly roll out a fleet of test vehicles based on their latest fuel cell prototype.  The vehicle is named the FCHV-adv and the test program will include more than 100 vehicles released to fleets in the U.S.  The FCHV-adv is based on the Toyota Highlander converted for fuel cell vehicle usage.

Back in 2008, the Toyota vehicle was tested by the Department of Energy and the results were quite impressive.  The tests showed that the FCHV-adv was capable of achieving 68 mpg with an impressive range of 431 miles.

The roll out of the fleet test vehicles will take about three years with vehicles going to corporate and government fleets in California and New York, two areas that currently support hydrogen refueling.  Toyota will introduce additional vehicles to markets across the country as the infrastructure support becomes available.

Toyota has not stated what is considered to be an "affordable" vehicle and those against fuel cell vehicles believe that they will be cost prohibitive for decades.  However, the company promises an affordable fuel cell by 2015 and we certainly hope they can deliver.

Source:  Toyota Press Release

Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle Demonstration Program Expands
More Than 100 Fuel Cell Vehicles Placed in the U.S. Over The Next 3 Years

DETROIT, January 11, 2010 - - Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. (TMS) announced today that more than 100 Toyota Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle - Advanced (FCHV-adv) vehicles will be placed in a nationwide demonstration program over the next three years.

TMS and Toyota Motor Manufacturing and Engineering North America, Inc. will place vehicles with universities, private companies and government agencies in both California and New York. Over the three year course of the demonstration program, as new hydrogen stations come online, additional regions and partners will be added. Toyota's demonstration program expansion will provide one of the largest fleets of active fuel cell vehicles in the country with the primary goal of spurring essential hydrogen infrastructure development. The demonstration program also will serve to demonstrate fuel cell technologies reliability and performance prior to its 2015 market introduction.

"We plan to come to market in 2015, or earlier, with a vehicle that will be reliable and durable, with exceptional fuel economy and zero emissions, at an affordable price," said Irv Miller, TMS group vice president of environmental and public affairs. "Toyota will not be alone in the fuel cell marketplace and building an extensive hydrogen re-fueling infrastructure is the critical next step. Hopefully, expansion of demonstration programs like this one will serve as a catalyst."

In December 2002, Toyota began limited testing of fuel cell vehicles in the U.S. and Japan. A total of 20 first generation fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHV) are in service in California with universities, corporations and government agencies. Toyota enlisted the University of California, Irvine, University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Davis to test different aspects of consumer acceptance and market dynamics of fuel cell vehicles. FCHV also are placed with the California Fuel Cell Partnership, a public-private partnership organization to promote the adoption of hydrogen vehicles in California.