Japanese made hydrogen car

Toyota Mirai - a production hydrogen car

November 2013 was marked by the fact that the Toyota concern presented to the public a new car - a presentable sedan, which was the first to be developed by the company as a hybrid hydrogen fuel cell car.

The presentation was held at one of the largest car dealerships in Tokyo, where the president of the company announced the name of the original invention, “Toyota Mirai,” and also announced the concern’s plans for the near future.

Parameters of a hydrogen car from Toyota

The new model was based on the Toyota FCV. At the same time, the main systems and units were qualitatively improved and modernized, creating a separate masterpiece of automotive production. The optimal ground clearance of 130 mm, the cozy proportions of a four-seater sedan and front-wheel drive are completed by the basic equipment with R17 alloy wheels and the unique FCA110 hybrid system.

It is this installation that allows the car to perform actions and perform its functions using hydrogen fuel cells - a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, and the electricity generated as a result.

In this case, the combustion process does not occur, and the conversion of hydrogen into electric current is carried out with a maximum efficiency of 83% (this is with an average efficiency of Toyota car engines of 23%).

The electric motor of the new Toyota Mirai has a maximum power of 154 horsepower or 113 kilowatts. The electricity generated by fuel cells passes through a special boost converter. Next, the DC is converted to AC, increasing the voltage to 650 volts.

Toyota Mirai - safety on the road and in the atmosphere

We can talk about the advantages of a new car for quite a long time. They look especially confident and advantageous in comparison with any modern vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines or hybrids. The main advantages of the Toyota Mirai can be considered the following:

Quick refueling – it takes no more than three minutes to refuel two tanks;
Zero emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere;
Cruising range on one fill (one tank is enough for 650 km).

Even in comparison with electric cars, the Mirai is a more successful unit, given that electric cars take several hours to charge and can travel a much shorter distance on a single charge.

Production hydrogen cars in Japan and the world

The cost of new generation hydrogen cars, according to rough estimates, will range between 57-70 thousand dollars. The Toyota Mirai will go on sale in December 2014 (for the Japanese automobile market), and in Europe and the United States sales of the hydrogen Toyota will start in 2015.

Another not fully resolved issue is the problem of refueling hydrogen cars during their mass sale. In some countries, hydrogen refueling stations are already starting to appear, but widespread development has not yet been observed.

For example, there are only 82 such gas stations throughout Europe, 124 in America, and 23 hydrogen gas stations in China.

By the way, another Japanese manufacturer announced the other day that it was launching its hydrogen car into production - the Honda FCV (the first prototype of the Honda FCX Clarity was released back in 1999) and in 2016 the new Fuel Cell eXperimental Honda will be sold in Japan, Europe and the USA.

Source: http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/toyota-mirai-hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicle/

Japan makes official bet on hydrogen engines

March 6, 2018

Japan's largest automakers, energy companies and the country's government formally joined together Monday to form the JHyM consortium to support a "pan-Japan effort" to promote hydrogen engines as the next generation of vehicle energy sources.

The Japan H2 Mobility (JHyM) Consortium of 11 industrial giants with the support of the Japanese government announces the creation of an additional 80 hydrogen stations by 2021. Currently, 101 more stations of this type have already been built, are under construction or are planned for construction, writes The Japan Times (in English).

Monday's event is a public-private partnership to make hydrogen energy and zero-emission vehicles a key technology of the future, countering the global craze for electric vehicles. And Japan must become a world leader in this movement towards a “carbon-free future.”

Let us remember that now hydrocarbon power plants are also mainly used to generate electricity, so for now, abandoning internal combustion engines in favor of electric vehicles does not solve the problem of burning hydrocarbons.

Japan's industry minister in December announced plans to create 160 hydrogen stations in Japan by 2020 and deploy a network of 900 such stations by 2030. The intention was also announced to increase the number of hydrogen cars on the country's roads to 40 thousand by 2020 and increase their number to 800 thousand by 2030.

The JHyM consortium includes 3 automakers - Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., and Honda Motor Co., 6 largest energy companies - JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corp., Idemitsu Kosan Co., Iwatani Corp., Tokyo Gas Co., Toho Gas Co., and Air Liquide Japan, 1 trading company - Toyota Tsusho Corp and the state-owned Japan Development Bank.

The cost of one hydrogen station is estimated at 400-500 million yen (about $4 million). It is planned to reduce costs through new government support measures.

At a time when the world is fascinated by electric vehicles, Japan has become the first country to mass-produce hydrogen-powered vehicles.

In 2014, Toyota released its Mirai, and in 2016, Honda introduced Honda's Clarity Fuel Cell.

For reference

The first internal combustion engine powered by hydrogen was created by the Frenchman Francois Isaac de Rivaz (biography in English) (1752-1828) in 1806. Hydrogen was produced by electrolysis.

In besieged Leningrad, gasoline was in short supply, but there was a lot of hydrogen. Military engineer Boris Shelishch proposed using an air-hydrogen mixture to operate barrage balloons.

The internal combustion engines of balloon winches were converted to hydrogen.

During the blockade, about 600 cars also ran on hydrogen (a conventional internal combustion engine can generally run on hydrogen with reduced power, but this is dangerous).

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (USA) calculated that with an average annual mileage of 19,200 km, hydrogen consumption will be 1 kg per 96 km. One passenger car per year requires 200 kg of hydrogen per year or 0.55 kg per day.

One industrial hydrogen station can produce from 2,500 kg of hydrogen per day and is designed to refuel from 500 cars. However, based on the calculations of the new Japanese consortium, 900 hydrogen stations will serve 800 thousand cars, that is, the stations being built should produce about 5,000 kg of hydrogen per day and serve up to 1,000 cars per day.

The production of hydrogen requires electricity, since the element (like 200 years ago) is produced by electrolysis, so it is not yet possible to get rid of the combustion of hydrocarbons.

Source: https://www.sularu.com/theme/10307

Toyota Mirai hydrogen car – first test – Behind the wheel magazine

Toyota Mirai. Made in Japan. From 66,000 euros in Germany.

A liter of diesel for one euro? In Hamburg? Fantastic! I remember very well that a year ago, when I was traveling by car in Europe, diesel fuel was significantly more expensive. But here is another gas station - and also a euro per liter... It’s just that in Germany, unlike Russia, prices for petroleum products are quickly rewritten following the price of oil, not only up, but also down.

It’s even a pity that I don’t need either diesel or gasoline today - after all, I’m driving the world’s first production fuel cell car around the outskirts of Hamburg. To refuel the futuristic Toyota Mirai sedan, only hydrogen is required.

UNDER PRESSURE

Everything happens exactly as at a regular gas station. Through the terminal I pay for the required amount of fuel, attach the plug to the filler neck, and within three to four minutes hydrogen fills the fuel tanks.

These are two high-pressure cylinders (700 bar) made of carbon fiber with a three-layer structure: a 60-liter one is located under the rear seat, and the other (62.4 liters) is closer to the rear suspension. The total capacity is five kilograms of hydrogen.

Toyota Mirai. The interior is high quality, airy; ergonomics, despite the exotic panel architecture, are not bad. I was pleasantly pleased with the presence of auto-closers for all windows. And the thoughtfulness of the multimedia system with touch buttons was unpleasantly disappointing.

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There are only nineteen publicly accessible hydrogen filling stations throughout Germany. According to the manufacturer, the Toyota Mirai can travel 500 km on full tanks, and the test route is laid out so that I won’t stand in a field; but it is obvious that the current hydrogen infrastructure is not yet able to provide a comfortable life for the owners of hydrogen vehicles.

The situation will change by 2023, when the number of hydrogen filling stations in Germany will exceed four hundred. The cost of the project is over 400 million euros, one million for each gas station. An impressive portion of the funds are invested by Toyota, Honda, BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler.

In Japan, by the end of the year, about eighty hydrogen gas stations will operate, also with the participation of automakers. In the USA - about thirty.

I am moving from theory to practice. I turn on (how unusual it is to use this term!) the car with the Start/Stop button, reset the trip computer, select the Drive mode with the small joystick on the console and move away absolutely silently.

Toyota Mirai. In two days I did not meet anyone who was delighted with the appearance of the car. However, there is no arguing about tastes. At least the Mirai's appearance is memorable.

Toyota Mirai. In two days I did not meet anyone who was delighted with the appearance of the car. However, there is no arguing about tastes. At least the Mirai's appearance is memorable.

When filling up “to full”, exactly a kilogram of hydrogen fit into the tanks of my car. Before refueling, the trip computer promised 260 km of travel. After - 330 km. But I'm sure I can drive all five hundred!

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A KILO OF HOPE

Toyota Mirai is essentially an electric car. Electricity is generated in a fuel cell stack by the interaction of hydrogen and oxygen. The electric current passes through an inverter (Fuel Cell Boost Converter), where it is converted from DC to AC, and the voltage increases to 650 V.

The reaction occurs without a combustion process, and the “exhaust” is harmless water vapor.

A traction synchronous electric motor drives the front wheels. Power comes not only from fuel cells, but also from a rear-mounted nickel-metal hydride battery with a maximum power output of 21 kW, which feeds during regenerative braking and releases energy during hard acceleration. The maximum output of the electric motor is 113 kW (154 hp).

Mirai weighs 1850 kg, and one and a half hundred “horses” did not promise anything interesting. But the hydrogen car turned out to be far from toothless! Torque of 355 N∙m, available throughout the entire rev range, ensures confident acceleration.

And the acceleration in Power mode (the secondary battery is forced into use) is such that you are pressed into the seat - you can’t help but believe in the claimed 9.6 seconds of acceleration to hundreds.

On the unlimited autobahn, I effortlessly accelerated the Mirai to 180 km/h!

Toyota Mirai. The two-seater rear sofa is luxurious: ample knee room, individual heating.

Thanks to the low center of gravity, the handling of the large sedan is very reliable. But there is no courage. You need to drive calmly, enjoying the smoothness and silence. Only during intense acceleration does a subtle trolleybus rumble break into the cabin.

The two-tone interior is pleasing to the eye and comfortable. Despite the exotic architecture of the panel, I do not experience any inconvenience - the ergonomics are fine, and the equipment even includes heated rear seats and steering wheel. The only disappointment was the incredibly slow multimedia system with touch buttons.

I drove literally five kilometers along the autobahn. I pulled off onto a secondary road, turned on Eco mode and drove off at an extremely measured pace.

Now imagine my surprise when, after 65 km, the trip computer again began to show the “pre-refueling” range: 260 km.

It turns out, despite my efforts, on a kilogram of hydrogen I managed to last only the 70 km promised by the electronics - and in real conditions, the mileage on full tanks will be about 350 km. Not five hundred.

Toyota Mirai. The length of the car is 4890 mm - it is only 9 mm shorter than the BMW “five”! And the wheelbase (2780 mm) is 30 mm shorter than that of the “three rubles”.

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Until now, I have not mentioned the main thing: for this very kilogram of hydrogen at a Hamburg gas station I paid 9.5 euros.

Even if we cross out the autobahn and assume that at a pensioner’s pace I would travel about a hundred kilometers on this kilogram, it turns out to be obscenely expensive.

A diesel car of similar power in a similar driving mode would require no more than five liters of diesel fuel, which would cost me five euros - half the price!

And it turns out that the only reason for buying a Mirai is concern for the environment. And even that is very doubtful.

After all, when producing hydrogen from natural gas using a steam reforming reaction (this is how about half of all hydrogen is produced), carbon dioxide is released as a by-product.

But producing hydrogen by electrolysis of water is a more expensive and energy-intensive process.

The last nail in the coffin of common sense is the price.

In Germany, a Toyota Mirai will cost at least 66 thousand euros! At the current cost of hydrogen fuel, I don't see any reason to buy this futuristic hydrogen car.

Of course, electric cars were also skeptical at first, but now Tesla has won the hearts and minds of people all over the world. But the popular Tesla Model S did not appear immediately, and besides, only moneybags can afford it.

1. Power control unit. 2. Nickel-metal hydride battery (secondary battery). 3. Synchronous electric motor. 4. DC to AC inverter. 5. Hybrid installation on hydrogen fuel cells. 6. High pressure hydrogen tanks. In a fuel cell battery, hydrogen from the cylinders reacts with oxygen entering through the air intakes. The electric current resulting from the reaction passes through the inverter, where it is converted from direct to alternating, and the voltage increases to 650 V.

A synchronous electric motor drives the front wheels; A "secondary" battery located at the rear of the car collects energy from regenerative braking and shares it during hard acceleration.

In a fuel cell battery, hydrogen from the cylinders reacts with oxygen entering through the air intakes. The electric current resulting from the reaction passes through the inverter, where it is converted from direct to alternating, and the voltage increases to 650 V.

A synchronous electric motor drives the front wheels; A "secondary" battery located at the rear of the car collects energy from regenerative braking and shares it during hard acceleration.

If one day we do drive into a bright hydrogen future, it will not be in a sedan with the beautiful name Mirai, but behind the wheel of a more affordable and efficient car. But the achievement of the Japanese, who launched the world's first hydrogen car into production, deserves applause. And, as it should be on especially solemn occasions, I give them a standing ovation.

The official discoverer of the chemical element occupying the first cell of the periodic table is the French chemist and naturalist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier. In 1783, he established that hydrogen is part of water.

The first piston engine powered by hydrogen was built by the French-Swiss inventor Francois Isaac de Rivaz in 1807. He obtained hydrogen by electrolysis of water.

And the exhaust gases were a mixture of water vapor and nitrogen.

Competitor

Honda Clarity Fuel Cell.

At the end of October, Honda showed a small-scale hydrogen sedan, the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell. The principle of operation is exactly the same as that of Mirai. The power of the power plant is about 100 kW (135 hp), the declared range is 700 km, and refueling time does not exceed three minutes. The start of production is scheduled for spring 2016.

Let's get excited behind the wheel of the Toyota Mirai - the first production hydrogen car

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Source: https://www.zr.ru/content/articles/830560-zazhigaem-za-rulem-toyota-mirai-pervogo-serijnogo-vodorodomobilya/

Hydrogen fuel cars, what is it, how does it work?

The modern automotive industry is developing with an emphasis on the production of more environmentally friendly vehicles. This is due to the worldwide struggle for clean air by reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

The constant rise in gasoline prices is also forcing manufacturers to look for other energy sources.

Many leading automobile manufacturing concerns are gradually moving to mass production of cars running on alternative fuels, which in the very near future will lead to the appearance on the roads of the world of a sufficient number of not only electric cars, but also cars with engines powered by hydrogen fuel.

How hydrogen cars work

A car running on hydrogen is designed to reduce atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide, as well as other harmful impurities. The use of hydrogen to propel a wheeled vehicle is possible in two different ways:

the use of a hydrogen internal combustion engine (HICE);
installation of a power electric unit powered by hydrogen cells (HE).

While we are used to filling our cars with gasoline or diesel fuel, a new miracle is powered by the most common element in the universe - hydrogen

The hydrogen element consists of the following parts:

housings;
a membrane that allows only protons to pass through - it divides the container into two parts: anode and cathode;
an anode coated with a catalyst (palladium or platinum);
cathode with the same catalyst.

The operating principle of VE is based on a physical and chemical reaction consisting of the following:

Hydrogen is supplied to the anode compartment, where, under the influence of a catalyst, its molecules give up their electrons to the anode. Hydrogen gas is filled into the car tank in the same way as gasoline, and then a special fuel cell that produces a chemical reaction using hydrogen and oxygen converts electricity, which is the driving force of the machine
The resulting protons (H+) enter the cathode part of the EV, freely passing through the membrane, where oxygen is simultaneously supplied.
Electrons rush through the anode into the power supply circuit of the car's electric motor, setting it in motion.
Under the action of the catalyst, electrons supplied to the cathode combine with protons (H+), forming molecular hydrogen. The supply of oxygen to the chamber promotes the formation of water molecules.

Thus, when the car moves, no carbon dioxide is emitted, but only water vapor, electricity and nitrogen oxide.

Main characteristics of hydrogen cars

The main players in the automotive market already have prototypes of their products that use hydrogen as fuel. It is already possible to definitely identify individual technical characteristics of such machines:

maximum speed up to 140 km/h;
the average mileage from one refueling is 300 km (some manufacturers, for example, Toyota or Honda, claim twice this figure - 650 or 700 km, respectively, on hydrogen alone);
acceleration time to 100 km/h from zero – 9 seconds;
power plant power up to 153 horsepower.

This car can accelerate to 179 km/h, and the car accelerates to 100 km/h in 9.6 seconds and, most importantly, it can travel 482 km without additional refueling

Quite good parameters even for gasoline engines.

There has not yet been a shift towards airborne combustion engines using liquefied H2 or RE-powered vehicles, and it is not clear which of these types of engines will achieve the best technical characteristics and economic indicators.

But today, more models of electrically driven machines powered by renewable energy sources have been produced, which provide greater efficiency. Although the hydrogen consumption to produce 1 kW of energy is less in an internal combustion engine.

Pros and cons of cars running on hydrogen

Among the main advantages of hydrogen vehicles are:

high environmental friendliness, consisting in the absence of most harmful substances in the exhaust, characteristic of the operation of a gasoline engine - carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides and dioxides, aldehydes, aromatic hydrocarbons;
higher efficiency compared to gasoline cars;

In general, the car has ambitions to conquer the whole world

lower noise level from engine operation;
lack of complex, unreliable fuel supply and cooling systems;
possibility of using two types of fuel.

In addition, cars running on an air-intake engine have less weight and more useful volume, despite the need to install fuel cylinders.

The disadvantages of hydrogen vehicles include:

the bulkiness of the power plant when using fuel cells, which reduces the maneuverability of the vehicle;
the high cost of the hydrogen elements themselves due to the palladium or platinum they contain;
imperfect design and uncertainty in the material used to manufacture hydrogen fuel tanks;
lack of hydrogen storage technology;
lack of hydrogen filling stations, the infrastructure of which is very poorly developed throughout the world.

However, with the transition to mass production of cars equipped with hydrogen power plants, most of these shortcomings will certainly be eliminated.

Which hydrogen-powered cars are already in production?

The world's leading automobile companies such as BMW, Mazda, Mercedes, Honda, MAN and Toyota, Daimler AG and General Motors are engaged in the production of hydrogen fuel cars.

Among the experimental models, and some manufacturers already have small-scale ones, there are cars that operate only on hydrogen, or with the ability to use two types of fuel, the so-called hybrids.

The following models of hydrogen vehicles are already being produced:

Ford Focus FCV;
Mazda RX-8 hydrogen;
Mercedes-Benz A-Class;
Honda FCX;
Toyota Mirai;
Buses MAN Lion City Bus and Ford E-450;
BMW Hydrogen 7 dual fuel hybrid vehicle.

Today we can definitely say that, despite the existing difficulties (new things always find their way with difficulty), the future belongs to more environmentally friendly cars.

Cars running on hydrogen fuel will provide worthy competition to electric vehicles.

Source: https://neauto.ru/mashiny-na-vodorodnom-toplive/

Japanese hydrogen cars versus Chinese electric cars: who will win?

Details Published: 06.11.2015 13:17 Views: 2683

Two Asian countries with powerful automotive industries, Japan and China, are locked in a battle for dominance in the future electric vehicle market.

And if the first state defends the traditional concept of a car with electric traction and capacitive batteries, then the first one seeks to distribute electric cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells, reports electrocars.com.

ua with reference to Reuters.

The high-stakes battle is reminiscent of the Betamax-VHS video format clashes of the 1980s. It may very well be that the winning technology will become a world standard for other manufacturers.

What China wants and where Japan is going

China is a major oil importer and has problems with air pollution, so it is now actively stimulating the development of classic electric vehicles, inviting global automakers to share their technology in exchange for opening their market. At the same time, judging by sales statistics for 2015, the Chinese themselves are doing quite well with the production of their own eco-transport.

The Chinese electric supercar Youxia X - Tesla Model S stood nearby... after all

China's goal is to create a car model that would copy the best models on the market, for example, Tesla Motors, but at the same time be a budget option. Similar to Xiaomi phones that copy the iPhone.

Japan, however, sees the future differently and is actively investing in fuel cell technology and hydrogen refueling infrastructure as part of its national “Hydrogen Society” program. According to the government's plan, zero-emission fuel will in the future be able to have an additional function - in addition to electric vehicles using fuel cells, it will also be able to power residential buildings.

Toyota FCV Plus is a hydrogen car of the future capable of powering homes

Manufacturers of hydrogen car models receive significant subsidies from the Japanese government to reduce the cost of their products for the end consumer. Toyota Motor is especially active in this direction, having launched the Toyota Mirai hydrogen car.

Test batch of Toyota Mirai with hydrogen fuel cells sold out in a matter of days

Hyundai, General Motors, Daimler and BMW have joined research in the field of fuel cells. And, for example, Honda Motor has already presented a car powered by hydrogen fuel cells, the Clarity Fuel Cell, aimed at the mass market. It will go on sale in Japan in March and will be launched in the US and Europe later.

Source: https://ecotechnica.com.ua/stati/386-yaponskie-vodorodnye-avtomobili-protiv-kitajskikh-elektrokarov-kto-pobedit.html

Hydrogen deficiency

The ban on gasoline engines, which the authorities of European countries are thinking about, gives a new chance to their hydrogen competitors. In the meantime, equipment operating on the lightest gas is mastering narrow industry niches

“Water is the coal of the coming centuries,” exclaimed Jules Verne’s hero in the novel “The Mysterious Island,” referring to the ability of hydrogen to burn, providing a significant amount of energy.

A century and a half has passed, and the dream seems to be coming true: car companies, one after another, are starting to produce cars that run not on gasoline, but on hydrogen.

One of the main drivers for the development of hydrogen energy is the strict environmental restrictions imposed by the governments of developed countries.

Petrol and diesel engines seem to have only a few decades left: on July 26, UK Environment Minister Michael Gove said that the government is preparing to ban their sales from 2040, and in areas with the dirtiest air even earlier. A similar solution is being discussed in several other European countries, notably Norway and France.

According to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance study published in 2016, by 2040, annual sales of electric cars, some of which use hydrogen cells, will reach 35% of all cars sold. This will be greatly facilitated by lower prices - according to forecasts, by 2025 the cost of such cars will be equal to the average price of conventional cars.

But there is no consensus yet on which electric vehicles the world will switch to.

Traditional electric cars powered by batteries have already achieved a certain popularity: more than 2 million such cars drive on the roads of the planet, and networks of gas stations have been created for them in Europe and the USA.

But these devices have many disadvantages: the batteries lose their charge in the cold, and their average service life is 1–1.5 thousand cycles, that is, if recharged twice a day, the battery will only last about 3–5 years.

Hydrogen fuel cells look like a worthy alternative to batteries: they can last at least 8–10 years and require virtually no maintenance.

In terms of their efficiency, they have left conventional gasoline engines far behind - on average 45 versus 35%, they operate without vibration and noise, and a cylinder the size of a standard gas tank is enough for them to travel 500–600 km.

“Hydrogen has long been considered an energy treasure for the future, as it can be burned without generating any waste or converted into electricity,” says Christian Zbinden, owner of GNC-Technology. “Millions have been invested in research and development of hydrogen batteries.”

It is all the more surprising that the leaders of many technology companies, and among them, for example, the head of Tesla, Elon Musk, believe that automotive and household hydrogen engines are a dead end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reFHrQumidc

Hydrogen engines have a long and complicated history: back in 1979, BMW produced the first car powered by this gas. However, the oil crises of the 1970s, which made us think about developing such a car, passed, and until the 2000s, the auto giants shelved the idea.

Everything changed in the new century, when oil became more expensive again, and governments began to think about reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Environmental friendliness is one of the main advantages of hydrogen engines, because the only by-product of their operation is ordinary water.

No carbon dioxide, no lead compounds.

In 2007, BMW released a batch of one hundred Hydrogen 7 cars capable of running on both gasoline and hydrogen, accompanying this event with a large-scale advertising campaign: Hollywood stars Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Richard Gere, Sharon Stone appeared behind the wheel of such cars.

However, the matter was limited to a hundred cars: their technical characteristics left much to be desired. The company chose a dead-end path: the hybrid model burned hydrogen in the combustion chamber, and an 8 kg gas cylinder was only enough for 200–250 km.

And the cost of the car was at the level of the top models of the concern.

Source: https://www.rbc.ru/own_business/02/08/2017/5979d1ac9a7947802604085f

Japanese made hydrogen car

Home…News

Representatives of the Japanese corporation Toyota will finally present to the public the fruit of many years of work by their auto designers. The event is scheduled for the end of this month and will take place in the capital of the Land of the Rising Sun.

As we know, Tokyo will host the 2015 World Automobile Exhibition at this time. An innovative invention, FCV Plus visually would easily fit into the blockbuster “The 5th Element”.

No, no, it can't fly, but on the eve of the holiday, Toyota made several major announcements about the capabilities of its brainchild.

So, the prototype should become not only a vehicle, but also a mobile source of energy. FCV Plus is a stylish and compact car of the future. It is only 3.8 m long, 1.75 m wide, 1.54 m high, and has a wheelbase of just 3 m.

Each wheel of the prototype has one electric motor, which powers the car. They operate thanks to special fuel cells in which electricity is produced by a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen. This power source is located between the front wheels, but the large hydrogen tank is located behind the seats.

Already now, we can say that the entire design of the prototype looks a little like a space shuttle. And this applies not only to appearance. The interior is made in a minimalist style with an unusual steering column, and there is no gear lever as such.

In principle, the average car enthusiast is unlikely to notice familiar units in an unusual hatchback. In order to increase the viewing angle, almost the entire upper part is made of glass.

The usual control panel will also not be found here; instead, an unusual projection display will appear, which, apparently, will be controlled via a sensor or human voice.

As many have already understood, the main highlight of the Japanese masterpiece is hydrogen in the form of fuel.

But that’s not all, the car is capable of using up both its own reserves of the substance and using an external hydrogen resource. This is the second such prototype from the Japanese auto giant.

The first model, called “Miral,” also uses alternative fuel for its operation and was presented at last year’s exhibition.

The main goal pursued by the Japanese is the creation of innovative road transport that is absolutely safe for the environment. It must be said that Toyota has already achieved some success in this direction.

Source: http://corollafan.ru/novosti/vodorodnyj-avtomobil-yaponskogo-proizvodstva.html

10 things a hydrogen car buyer needs to know

Automakers are doing their best to provide us with environmentally friendly vehicles. At this time, world oil reserves are declining and concerns about the effects of global warming remain relevant.

As a result, interesting engine production technologies began to emerge. At first these were hybrid cars with gasoline and electric engines. Then came all-electric cars like the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S.

And the latest innovation in this direction is hydrogen cars.

Hydrogen is an affordable and renewable energy source. Today there are only two such production cars from well-known companies - Toyota Mirai and Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell. We decided to tell you about 10 things you should know about hydrogen cars.

1. Power = water

The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell does not have a traditional engine under the hood. In its place is a fuel cell, as the crossover's name suggests. It receives oxygen from the air outside the car and hydrogen from a tank inside the car, resulting in the chemical reaction needed to produce the electrodes that power the car. The only production waste is H2O, that is, water.

Interested in power? Check it out! Zero emissions? Yes, this is reality!

2. They are silent... almost

Get into a hydrogen car, turn on the ignition (with a simple push of a button in the case of a Hyundai), and you won't hear a thing. Like electric cars, there is no sound from the engine in these cars. Well, almost absent.

If you get out of the car on a relatively quiet street, you will hear a minimal hum from the fuel cell as it does its job. In city traffic conditions, this sound is generally impossible to notice. While driving, you will only hear the usual noise of the wheels. When you press the accelerator pedal, you won't hear anything, but you will feel real power.

3. Drive, drive, drive

This may all seem too good to be true. The question may arise about what the owners of hydrogen cars will have to sacrifice. Some people think that power is the weak point of these machines. But you just have to press the gas pedal and the result will clearly not disappoint you.

The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell is a front-wheel drive crossover, so it was clearly not designed to set speed records. But pressing the accelerator pedal leaves an extremely positive impression - the body begins to pleasantly press against the seat.

4. There is also a battery here

The car itself runs on gas, but it also has a battery installed. It is necessary for starting and initial acceleration, since there is a small (less than 1 second) delay between pressing the pedal and receiving the required fuel cell output.

The battery is recharged using the kinetic energy generated during braking.

5.No tachometer, only power

Hydrogen cars do not have an internal combustion engine or a traditional gearbox. It uses something similar to an automatic transmission. Therefore, instead of the tachometer that is familiar to all of us, a power scale is installed on the instrument panel.

Yes, power! The harder you press the accelerator pedal, the higher the needle on the power scale will rise. Looks a little silly, but fun! Just look at this part of the instrument panel while pressing the pedal and enjoy.

6. Autonomy

One of the most significant problems that electric car owners face is the limited range on a single battery charge. In this regard, cars with traditional internal combustion engines are more competitive.

But in the case of hydrogen cars, everything is not so bad. You won't have to make many refueling stops during long trips. Thus, the Toyota Mirai will be able to travel about 500 kilometers without refueling, but Hyundai claims that the ix35 Fuel Cell will cover up to 594 km on one tank of hydrogen. And this is a very, very good indicator for an environmentally friendly car!

7. Refueling - fast, but very problematic

The refueling process is the same as in conventional cars - you need to open the fuel tank flap and insert a special “gun” to fill the tank with hydrogen. It is noteworthy that you can fill the tank in only 3-5 minutes (depending on the volume), and this is much faster than even the fastest charging of an electric car (about half an hour).

This is more convenient, but there is one very, very big problem: finding a gas station that sells hydrogen today is almost impossible. For example, even in the UK there are only 4 public stations dedicated to refueling hydrogen vehicles.

According to forecasts, in the UK the number of such gas stations will increase to 65 by 2020, but even in such a developed country this will be a very small network. There are currently over 8,000 conventional petrol stations operating in the UK. There can be no talk of any comparison. What can we say about Russia...

8. Infotainment system

It may seem that a hydrogen car can't be very powerful, but don't worry - there's plenty of power for both fast acceleration and playing your favorite audio and video materials.

Just like in a regular car, the cabin of the hydrogen “iron horses” has a full range of modern electronics. Climate control, synchronization with a smartphone via Bluetooth, navigation, parking sensors, cruise control, rear view camera - all this can be installed in such a car.

9. Only four wheels

Four wheels are a standard feature of every car. But you will have to forget about the niche for the spare tire, because the entire space was “eaten” by the fuel tank. The hydrogen storage tank takes up a lot of space, so you will either have to learn to use a repair kit or carry a spare tire in a case in the luggage compartment. Most likely, the optimal solution would be to purchase a suitable “dokatka”.

10. It's not cheap...yet

As mentioned earlier, there are only two production hydrogen vehicles on the market today - the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell. In Europe, the price of the “Korean” is approximately $76,000, but for the Toyota model you will have to pay approximately $57,500.

This is not cheap at all, especially considering there are such a limited number of places where you can refuel such a car. Hyundai notes that it plans to release a more compact model with such a power plant. Most likely, it will have a more affordable price. And other car manufacturers have seriously taken up the study of new technology.

What do you think about hydrogen cars? Do they have a future in the world and on Russian roads in particular?

Source: http://avtopub.com/vodorodnyiy-avtomobil/