Toyota To Build Hydrogen Fuel Car
Toyota has long been a leader in alternative fuel cars with its flagship Prius. Now, the company has announced it will build and cell a hydrogen fuel car as well.
Toyota has had a rough year or two by just about any calculation. From cars falling apart to defects allegedly causing deaths to one sister brand, the Lexus, actually receiving a “do not buy” rating, the reputation of the company for innovation and reliability has taken a beating like a blond teenager in a horror movie.
One area the company has always done well is in the alternative fuel car market. The hybrid Prius is a huge hit and remains so despite some efforts to tar and feather it along with less reliable Toyota products. That being said, it is only a hybrid and they are becoming so passe’. [Tongue firmly in cheek!]
To keep ahead of the pack, Toyota has announced it will be launching a hydrogen fuel cell car for sale in markets. It sounds fascinating, but there are a lot of caveats about this announcement. Let’s take the cynical look first. The launch date for the new car is…2015. That is not exactly around the corner and one can’t help but wonder if this is more of a PR stunt than anything. With an estimated price tag of $50,000, one almost hopes it is!
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 | US $23,450.00 End Date: Friday Sep-16-2011 7:36:32 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $23,450.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Pragmatism is the second issue that arises with this new car. A hydrogen fuel cell car sounds like a great thing, but there are a few huge problems. First, this form of fuel cell has been found to be unstable, which makes you wonder how they will get it pass safety inspections. The second problem is where do you get the fuel? There aren’t any hydrogen fuel stations. The argument is you can fill the car up with water, which is then converted to hydrogen in some manner. Sounds nice, but this technology isn’t even close to existing. Perhaps it will be in the next five years.
Don’t get me wrong. I am all for hydrogen cars. They would cut our need for oil and have a hugely positive environmental impact. That being said, the Toyota announcement seems more smoke than fire to me. It would be nice to be wrong, but I’ll hold off on saving up my money.