"Toyota will sell a fuel-cell car around the world in 2015"

[TopWargamer]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/6/5278884/toyota-will-sell-a-fuel-cell-car-around-the-world-in-2015

 

 

For automakers, CES is often dominated by self-driving and the ever-growing notion of the connected car, but Toyota's taking a more environmental tack with today's announcement: it's reiterating the call that it will have a hydrogen fuel-cell car for sale to consumers next year that produces nothing more than water vapor from the tailpipe. Toyota has said in recent months that it would have fuel-cell tech in consumers' hands "around 2015," but this is the first time that it's locking next year in stone — and it'll be a global launch, including the US.

 

So it's a hydrogen fueled car that gets around 300 miles on a tank of hydrogen, and is having a global launch, which includes the US, in 2015. Yes, please, I want this so badly. It's great to see that car manufacturers are starting to come out with more environment friendly vehicles.

 

Oh, and a side note (from the article):

 

 

(Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently described fuel cells as a "bullshit" technology in cars.)

Musk, I love you, but you're clearly butthurt. I don't see the 'bullshit' about hydrogen powered cars.

[TheSLSAMG]

 

I love you Toyota.

[JAMlE]

Awesome

[SSOB]

 

I love you Toyota.

The front is nice , but THE BACK MOTHEr of GOD its ugly

[dizmo]

The front is nice , but THE BACK MOTHEr of GOD its ugly

Needs. Bigger. Wheels.

[TopWargamer]

 

I love you Toyota.

Thank you for grabbing that image for me.

<3

[Gunzkewl]

Hydrogen vehicles are the future!! Good job Toyota.

[wpirobotbuilder]

I'm all for the prospect of non-gasoline cars, but there are problems with a hydrogen fuel cell car.

 

• Production of hydrogen is overwhelmingly done through steam reforming (one of the most efficient ways), which uses methane, water and heat to produce hydrogen. This produces the same amount of carbon dioxide as burning the methane (though it can be captured more easily), and depends on an input supply of methane, which is not commercially renewable as of now.
• There is no infrastructure of any kind to support fuel cell cars, unlike gasoline cars and, to a lesser extent, electric cars.
• Hydrogen is difficult to store. Its atoms are so small and energetic that it loves to leak out of tanks under high pressures. Which would be required to achieve an energy density similar to gasoline.
• Hydrogen is difficult to move through a pipeline. About four times harder than natural gas.

Though maybe Toyota's figured out a solution to the third problem, the first problem can certainly be put off for decades and the fourth problem will only drive up the cost a little bit. The second problem is the real trouble, since most of our pipes are currently in use.

[shizngiggles]

What would be the estimated cost of filling that tank with hydrogen? I mean I'm all for hydrogen cars so long as they plan on building out an infrastructure to supply hydrogen otherwise this car will be very limited in where it can be driven. Also, what does it cost/how is the hydrogen produced? I'd definitely be interested in purchasing this car IF someone spends the money to build an infrastructure and if it's actually cheaper than purchasing a car that gets about 30 mpg at current fuel costs.

[CyberneticTitan]

The good part is, it looks pretty nice.

[ChillKyle]

Toyota, if you can make this at a 20K price point and can have reasonable ways to fill the tank as a consumer, you have my money for my first car.

[shouldervalley]

I will be interested when carmakers make them look like regular cars or chevy make a 7 liter v8 that runs on it

[Tranquility]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/6/5278884/toyota-will-sell-a-fuel-cell-car-around-the-world-in-2015

 

 

 

So it's a hydrogen fueled car that gets around 300 miles on a tank of hydrogen, and is having a global launch, which includes the US, in 2015. Yes, please, I want this so badly. It's great to see that car manufacturers are starting to come out with more environment friendly vehicles.

 

Oh, and a side note (from the article):

 

 

Musk, I love you, but you're clearly butthurt. I don't see the 'bullshit' about hydrogen powered cars.

 

The bullshit is that to get hydrogen you must break down water molecules, which requires a large amount of energy. Instead of going Electricity > Car, it's going Electricity > Hydrogen > Car. It's using energy to break down a precious resource when we could just be using electricity and getting a car that performs the same if not better.

[Stomplar]

where i live, that car would be garbage

[nicehat]

Failure or not, this is great for progress. I say this is great, and the only winner is the consumer. 

[Eddyall]

Musk, I love you, but you're clearly butthurt. I don't see the 'bullshit' about hydrogen powered cars.

He probably saw the Mythbusters episode about the Hindenburg.

[ZetZet]

Hydrogen cars are stupid, you use so much power to make hydrogen why not just drive electric cars with that and we already have networks for electricity AND we already make about 200miles on 20min charge (Tesla). Hydrogen is going backwards.

[f22luke]

The front is nice , but THE BACK MOTHEr of GOD its ugly

I think the hole thing is ugly.

[AlexGoesHigh]

The front is nice , but THE BACK MOTHEr of GOD its ugly

dat fat ass

 

OT: instant ban in my country for sure though toyota wont even bother to bring it here because there's only gasoline, diesel and liquefied gas as fuel options though the amount of residue left over from the beers factory could produce a lot of ethanol  

[sysloc]

Good luck with that Toyota

[FireFox]

Thank you Toyota and Honda (Honda's looked better imo).

[Imaginaerum]

I'm all for the prospect of non-gasoline cars, but there are problems with a hydrogen fuel cell car.

 

• Production of hydrogen is overwhelmingly done through steam reforming (one of the most efficient ways), which uses methane, water and heat to produce hydrogen. This produces the same amount of carbon dioxide as burning the methane (though it can be captured more easily), and depends on an input supply of methane, which is not commercially renewable as of now.
• There is no infrastructure of any kind to support fuel cell cars, unlike gasoline cars and, to a lesser extent, electric cars.
• Hydrogen is difficult to store. Its atoms are so small and energetic that it loves to leak out of tanks under high pressures. Which would be required to achieve an energy density similar to gasoline.
• Hydrogen is difficult to move through a pipeline. About four times harder than natural gas.

Though maybe Toyota's figured out a solution to the third problem, the first problem can certainly be put off for decades and the fourth problem will only drive up the cost a little bit. The second problem is the real trouble, since most of our pipes are currently in use.

This reminds me of what James May from Top Gear said, "It's hard getting oil but we've managed that pretty well haven't we." Or something like that. I think he's right, if money and desire overran people's minds then those problems may disappear or be lessened to where hydrogen is the next best unlimited thing.

 

Still, my biggest worry is an increase in humidity in otherwise dry climates. I hate high humidity. Partly sarcasm.

[Cwazywazy]

Just so you guys know, Honda made a hydrogen car years ago. I think it was only available in California because that's the only place with hydrogen pumps.

[wpirobotbuilder]

This reminds me of what James May from Top Gear said, "It's hard getting oil but we've managed that pretty well haven't we." Or something like that.

Oil used to be really easy to get. Not so much anymore, but we've invested heavily in the technology and can't switch very readily.