Photo: KAZUHIRO NOGI AFP/Getty Images
Fans of Toyota know that we are looking for the next big fuel source for cars. Most Toyotas use gasoline, and only rarely use diesel. The Prius shocked the world with how easy and stylish hybrid technology can be. We invested initially in Tesla to explore electric vehicle motors, and produced an EV version of the RAV4. But what about something really big, something that will change everything?
One candidate for that is hydrogen. Toyota recently brought its FCV—fuel cell vehicle—to California this week to show it to reporters. Toyota has been working on its FCV for several years now, and you might have seen it in pictures. This trip to California is special, however, as the FCV will actually be on sale in that state next year, which means that anyone will be able to buy one.
So what is hydrogen and where does the fuel cell part come in? We liked how USA Today described it:
“The quick science low-down: take hydrogen gas and mix it with oxygen in a fuel cell stack and you get electric current, heat and water.”
Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical substance in the universe. It is colorless, tasteless, odorless, nonmetallic and non-toxic, which makes sense given that it’s pretty much everywhere.
As for fuel cells and stacks, we’re not even going down that rabbit hole. That’s what Wikipedia is for. Suffice to say that it’s a remarkably clean process: no more polluting exhaust pumping out the back. The only byproduct would be water—clean enough to drink, too—although there’s even a storage tank for that to keep your garage from getting soaked every night.
Hydrogen has the potential to completely replace gasoline. Fueling the tank(s) only takes 3-4 minutes, their range is comparable to a gasoline-powered vehicle, the cost per refuel should be comparable, and the technology is safe. So what’s the holdup? Gas stations, er, hydrogen stations. It takes a village, or in this case a nationwide network of filling stations.
The California Energy Commission has ponied up $200 million to build stations there, so we might be getting closer to this dream. Still, with an estimated 126,000 gasoline filling stations in the U.S. to match, hydrogen has a ways to go.
In the mean time, your best bet for a new Toyota in Raleigh remains Leith Toyota Scion. Come by and see us!
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