Toyota Researching Fuel Technologies

Advanced Hydrogen Fuel Technology

Big boasts for a company whose only hydrogen test vehicle so far was an SUV (the Highlander) a couple of years ago.  Honda, meanwhile, is already road-testing a fleet of leased FCX Clarity cars in three different locales (in both Southern California and Japan) with a projected public release date of 2018.

Whatever the outcome, it?s nice to see more than one company looking to hydrogen as the battery and energy storage medium of the future.  It?s renewable, non-polluting, and much longer term than lithium-ion and other battery types.

The automaker made a number of grants under the Toyota China Youth Environmental Protection Aid Program last week in Beijing. A total of 27 other environmental programs also received grants from Toyota.

Chinese Environmental Protection Grants

Toyota announces that Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd..,  together with the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) awarded grants under the FY2008 Toyota China Youth Environmental Protection Aid Program at a ceremony today in Beijing, China.

Approximately 400 people attended the ceremony, including Chinese government officials and executives of ACYF and TMCI.

The Toyota China Youth Environmental Protection Aid Program, which was established in 2005, solicits written proposals from Chinese youth concerning environmental education, ecosystem restoration, pollution prevention and resource conservation. Those who submit the best proposals receive grants to support their environmental-protection activities and are given the opportunity of a study trip to Japan. One proposal received the Toyota Special Award, 12 received general support and 15 received individual commendations.

The Toyota Special Award went to "Garbage Disposal and Recycling in Reconstruction Efforts for Areas Stricken by the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake", a program that has played an extremely important role in protecting the environment, restoring the ecosystem and ensuring sanitary conditions and the availability of drinking water for the public during the reconstruction of disaster-stricken areas in Sichuan Province.

TMC and its affiliates have continued to conduct social contribution activities throughout the world, focusing on the three areas of environmental protection, traffic safety and human resources development. In China, TMC and its affiliates are implementing afforestation programs to combat desertification, conducting traffic-safety educational events for the general public in collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and have established the Toyota Study Assistance Fund and a research center in collaboration with the School of Public Policy & Management at Tsinghua University.

TMC aims to be a good corporate citizen and plans to continue contributing to Chinese society.

Advanced Electric Gas Hybrid Technology

Toyota was so proud of their earlier fuel cell hybrid vehicle's (FCHV) 347 mile range that they took it on several adventurous treks. Now, the company's new 500+ mile range achievement must have them poring over the maps again, seeking the next great challenge for the vehicle, now monikered "FCHV adv" (advanced). We think the drive from Patagonia to Ecuador would be an exceptional tour de hydrogen fuel cell force. The cold of the far South would sorely test the improvements made to the building block of the fuel cell, the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA), that keeps water from interfering with electricity production when the mercury shrinks to -30C. The mountains of Peru would give the improved regenerative braking system a thorough working over while the humidity of Ecuador would demand the most of the upgraded degradation control for the electrode catalyst and the improved fuel cell durability.

Toyota FCHV (Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle)

Toyota announced today that it has developed a fuel cell hybrid vehicle equipped with the newly designed high-performance Toyota FC Stack. The "TOYOTA FCHV-adv" acquired vehicle-type certification from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) on June 3.

During development, TMC analyzed results and data from various utilization studies by the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project organized by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, tests conducted by the California Fuel Cell Partnership in the United States and cold-weather tests in Timmins, Canada. Based on the results gained from these studies, the TOYOTA FCHV-adv's fuel cell system was enhanced to further improve cruising distance and low-temperature starts, which had presented obstacles to widespread fuel cell vehicle use.

The building block of the Toyota FC Stack is the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA), where engineers focused on the basic problem of internally produced water interfering with electrical generation within the MEA at low temperatures. Fundamental research, such as internal visualization tests, was carried out to understand the behavior and amount of water generated in the fuel cell, allowing engineers to optimize the MEA design to improve low-temperature startup. Further changes include incorporating degradation control for the electrode catalyst and improving fuel cell durability. Furthermore, equipping the vehicle with TMC-developed 70Mpa high-pressure hydrogen tanks makes it possible to travel approximately 830km*2 on a single fueling-performance that more than doubles that of the TOYOTA FCHV-adv's predecessor, the TOYOTA FCHV.

While steadily conducting research and development to resolve issues such as how to improve the durability and reduce costs of the Toyota FC Stack, TMC is working with government, energy companies and other concerned parties to actively bring about widespread fuel cell vehicle use.

A Toyota FCHV-adv is to be provided as a test-ride vehicle at the Environmental Showcase within the International Media Center during the July 7-9 Hokkaido Toyako Summit.