Toyota FCV consept car. Source: Toyota.
Toyota has succeeded in improving the technology of the hydrogen car. Thanks to a new technology the hydrogen car may be a competitor worthy of attention to the electric cars during the next few years.
The car manufacturer Toyota will be bringing to the market of its first hydrogen-operated car next year. The company will demonstrate its new fuel cell in 20th November in the car exhibition of Tokyo. The car is still a concept car but Toyota intends to bring in 2015 to the sales of the hydrogen car.
The hydrogen car of Toyota may revolutionise the car market because the company has succeeded in patenting the small and light fuel cell which serves as the source of power of the car.
The hydrogen car gets its energy from the electricity which is produced at the fuel cells. In the electricity production of its raw material hydrogen and oxygen are used.
The car runs with one refueling about 500 kilometres. The effect of the fuel cell is a hundred kilowatts and 130 horse power. The car serves also as, if necessary, the stand-by power plant.
Competitor to the electric cars?
Thanks to a new technology the efficiency rate of the hydrogen car improves considerably. Thanks to this smaller electric motors can be used in the car which counts the price of the car. Until now the future of hydrogen cars has been doubted because of their high manufacturing costs, in particular.
The hydrogen car indeed may become a competitor worthy of attention to the electric cars because there are the same advantages as in the electric cars in it. However, the batteries of electric cars are still heavy and expensive.
American analyst of the car market John Rosevear states on the Motley Fool investment site that many analysts believed that the batteries of electric cars were lighter and cheaper still a few years ago at the moment. However, the development of the battery technology has brought a disappointment.
For this reason the car manufacturers have begun find other alternatives also. The fuel cell may be an alternative worthy of attention.
Other car manufacturers also in start along
Also in the market conquest of the hydrogen car challenges are certainly. Hydrogen cars would require the building of the expensive infrastructure of fuel stations. Also the prices of hydrogen cars have to decrease considerably.
However, the raw material of hydrogen cars is cheap. In addition to the water, the hydrogen can be made also from the natural gas.
In addition to Toyota, other car manufacturers also are developing fuel cells. That also tells about the possibilities of hydrogen cars.
According to Rosevear, at least Ford, General Motors and Hyundai have told that they are planning to bring hydrogen cars to the market during the next few years. Honda already has brought a hydrogen car to the market but it is expensive and its sales figures have remained low.
