Toyota also took part at this year’s International CES, a rarity among car manufacturers, as the company shows off its fuel call vehicle (FCV) concept, which is supposed to be fueled by a mixture of hydrogen and air.
The Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle does not emit harmful gasses; only water vapor. It does not need to be plugged into an outlet despite being an electric vehicle. Instead, it combines hydrogen and air to create both water and electricity that powers the car.
“For years, the use of hydrogen gas to power an electric vehicle has been seen by many smart people as a foolish quest,” a company spokesperson said during Toyota’s presentation. He also adds the challenges the company faces in creating its hydrogen-powered car, such as making sure the vehicle is reasonably-priced, as well as taking part in constructing hydrogen refueling stations.
The Toyota FCV can run up to 310 miles in a single charge. The problem, however, is the current lack of refueling stations that cater to such cars, which is why Toyota has partnered with the University of California Irvine’s Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) to lay out potential locations for hydrogen fueling stations.
The state government of California has approved over $200 million in funding to build around 20 stations by next year, increasing it to 40 by 2016.
The Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle is expected to go on sale in 2015.
Source: Mashable
