A fuel cell Toyota by 2015?

The fuel cell vehicle has been the holy grail of the automotive industry for more than a decade. After all, hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. And when a fuel cell generates power in an electro-chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen all it leaves behind is water vapour.
It’s the ideal green machine.

Countless prototypes with fuel cell powerplants have been made by countless manufacturers. Many such prototypes are on the road today, undergoing thorough testing, but a production fuel cell vehicle has remained elusive. At least until now, because Toyota plans to reveal such a car at November’s Tokyo Motor Show.

And there are hints the Japanese automaker is hoping it can bring this car to market next year, as a 2015 model.

Elon Musk, founder of upstart Tesla Motors, may call them “fool cells,” but maybe he’s just whistling past the graveyard. Because a reliable mass market Toyota- or Lexus-badged fuel cell car, priced about the same as the Tesla Model S electric vehicle ($77,800 in Canada), would be serious competition for his young company.

The thing to remember about fuel cells is that they work. Thus far, the biggest obstacles are managing the heat generated and the costs.

In a fuel cell, hydrogen gas passes through a stack of plastic membranes and platinum-coated plates to produce electricity. Because of the precious metals required, these stacks are costly, as are the high-pressure tanks needed to store the hydrogen.

If Toyota can pull it off, especially in a car with a reported range of about 500 km, all bets are off and Musk’s remark that “fool cells … are so stupid” will itself look stupid.

The naysayers didn’t think Toyota’s hybrid technology would work when the Prius made its debut in 1997. This week the Japanese automaker announced it has sold over three million of them.
Hum, hum, hum. A Lexus fuel cell for everyone?

Article by Glenn Woodcock Autonet.ca July 6th 2013