Toyota FCHV Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles Earning Top Grades in University Programs
TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 3 -- A pair of Toyota FCHV
market-ready hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, are receiving good grades in
on-road use at two major California universities.
The two zero emission vehicles were delivered December 2, 2002 to the
University of California, Irvine (UCI) and the University of California, Davis
(UCD) as the first step towards establishing a California fuel-cell
"community" partnership of government, business and higher education that will
tackle product, infrastructure and consumer-acceptance challenges. Additional
Toyota FCHV models will be delivered before the end of 2003 and each vehicle
will be leased for a total of 30 months.
"It has only been a couple of months, but we're very encouraged by the
initial feedback we've received from the universities," said Jim Press, TMS
executive vice president and COO. "There are still many product, operational
and logistical issues to address and this is very much a long-term program,
but the early response has been promising."
Toyota is working with both universities -- which have been at the
forefront of fuel-cell vehicle research, development and implementation -- to
establish fully functional, fuel-cell-friendly model-communities in northern
(UCD) and southern (UCI) California. Also involved in the efforts to develop
and expand a hydrogen-refueling infrastructure are the California Air
Resources Board (CARB) and South Coast Air Quality Management Board (SCAQMD),
along with corporations such as Stuart Energy and Air Products.
Plans are on track for the model-communities to have a network of six
refueling stations up-and-running by mid-2003, including a new station at TMS
national headquarters in Torrance, 40 miles northwest of the UCI campus. With
a current maximum range of about 180 miles, the southern fleet of Toyota FCHVs
will have a driving range covering most of Los Angeles and Orange counties.
"The FCHV is remarkable in engineering detail and the performance is
capturing the imagination and respect of all who drive the vehicle," Dr. Scott
Samuelsen, UCI professor of mechanical engineering and National Fuel Cell
Research Center director.
For the last five years, Toyota has provided more than $2 million in
research grants to the University of California for research in advanced
transportation systems including fuel cell vehicles. Not only will that
research grant more-than-double over the next 3-1/2 years, the UCD Institute
of Transportation Studies (ITS) and the UCI National Fuel Cell Research Center
(NFCRC) will now have a fleet of fuel-cell vehicles with which to address the
three key challenges that must be met before zero-emission fuel-cell vehicles
can be brought to market in volume. The three challenges include product
refinement, infrastructure development and building consumer awareness.
Toyota began its own 100-percent proprietary fuel-cell development program
in 1992. The current Toyota FCHV model represents advancements on the FCHV-4
hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, which underwent 18 months of real-world testing in
California and Japan, logging more than 80,000 miles of evaluation on test
tracks and public highways. The vehicle has also gone through rigorous crash
testing during its pre-market evaluation. During that time the vehicle's
hydrogen fuel system has proven to be reliable, durable and user-friendly.
The Toyota FCHV is based on the Toyota Highlander five-passenger mid-size
sport utility vehicle (SUV). Its fuel-cell stack is solely developed and
built by Toyota.
The Toyota FCHV system features four 5,000-psi hydrogen fuel tanks.
Hydrogen gas feeds into the fuel-cell stack where it is combined with oxygen.
The chemical reaction of combining hydrogen and oxygen to form water generates
a peak of 90 kW of electricity. The electricity from the fuel cell is used to
power the 109-hp (194 lbs-ft of torque) electric motor and to charge the
vehicle's nickel-metal hydride batteries, which feed power-on-demand to the
electric motor. The only by-product is water vapor -- which is emitted
through the vehicle's tailpipe -- and the FCHV has been certified by CARB as a
zero-emissions vehicle.
By applying the hybrid technologies honed in the Toyota Prius,
the world's first electric-gas hybrid vehicle, the Toyota FCHV
fuel-cell-electric system precisely regulates power flow from the
fuel-cell stack and battery to achieve high efficiency, excellent acceleration
and a smooth quiet ride. The FCHV has a top speed of 96 mph. It has a
lighter body shell than the Highlander, thanks to the use of aluminum in the
roof, fenders and other components. At 0.326 Cd, the FCHV is one of the
world's most aerodynamic SUVs, thanks to its flat, well-sealed underbody. It
also boasts an environment-friendly air conditioning system using CO2 rather
than CFC as a coolant.
For further information please visit http://www.toyota.com .
Toyota FCHV
Vehicle Dimensions, L 4,735 mm 186 in
W 1,815 mm 71 in
H 1,685 mm 66 in
Weight 1,860 kg 4,092 lb
Seating capacity 5 persons
Performance Max cruising range 290 km 180 mi
Maximum speed 155 km/h 96 mi
Name Toyota FC Stack
Fuel cell Type Polymer electrolyte fuel cell
stack Output 90 kW 122 hp
Type Permanent magnet
Maximum output 80 kW 109 hp
Motor 109 PS --
Maximum torque 260 N-m 194 lbf
26.5 kg-m --
Fuel Type Pure hydrogen
Storage method High-pressure hydrogen storage
tanks
Max. storage
pressure 35 MPa 5,000 psi
Secondary
battery Type Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH)
