FCHVs Toyota FCHV fuel cell vehicle

FIGURE 4-3. The Toyota FCHV fuel cell vehicle. 

In July 1998, Toyota said it would try to have a fuel cell automobile ready by 2003, but later this target date was dropped. Toyota believed that there are major cost problems for onboard reformers and saw direct hydrogen as a big technical challenge. Still, it kept working in these areas and its FCHV (fuel cell hybrid vehicle) became the first vehicle in Japan to be certified under the Road Vehicle Act. 

Toyota introduced the world s first fuel cell vehicles into the commercial market in 2002, simultaneously with Honda. As shown in Fig. 4-4, the first customers were the Japanese government, which leased four FCHVs, and the University of California at Irvine and the University of California at Davis, which leased one FCHV each. As of May 2003, these six FCHVs had logged over 17,000 km. User response has been positive. Customers appreciate the smooth acceleration and quiet, comfortable ride. 

Toyota (2006). Toyota s Fuel-Cell Hybrid Vehicles (FCHV). Toyota Motor Sales, USA. Available at http //www.toyota.com. 

Power control unit of Toyota FCHV (fuel cell hybrid vehicle) car. The unit regulates fuel cell output and battery charging and dischargng depending on the driving conditions. (Gl-PhotoStock/Photo Researchers, Inc.)... 

Fuel Cell Vehicles, Fig. 9 Toyota FCHV-adv fuel cell stack power maintenance ratio (Source September 2009 JS AE Kanto branch lecture meeting)... 

The Japan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC), summarized in Fig. 4-13, is a program set up by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in March 2003. In this program, hydrogen refueling facilities with different types of fuel and production methods will be tested. Vehicles from five automakers are taking part in this project, including Toyota s FCHV and fuel cell bus. 

Toyota s prototype, the FCHV, is based on the Toyota Highlander and has been refined several times since being introduced in 2001. The electricity produced in the fuel cell is used to power the electric engine and charge the battery. The Toyota FCHV, a refinement on their FCHV-4 model, was introduced to the market in 2002 with two FCHVs leased in California and another two leased in Japan, where the vehicle underwent 18 months of real-world testing (Toyota 2005a). The FCHV has four 5000 psi fuel tanks and a cruising distance of over 150 miles. 

Since the first Toyota FCHV launch in 2002, several improvements have been made to the technology. Toyota engineers have extended vehicle range and improved durability and efficiency through improvements in the fuel cell stack... 

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