Tesla Model S arrived as a ballistic solution to zero-emission cars, and General Motors' also made astonishing all-electric vehicles, but Toyota thinks hydrogen fuel cell cars are the future. According to the company's chairman, lack of infrastructure is slowing down the progress of hydrogen fuel technology.
Toyota emphasis that hydrogen fuel cell cars are the future of zero emission automobiles. The Japanese automaker has been highlighting advantages of vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells, in spite the fact that Tesla and GM already have got the crowd talking about long-range all-electric cars like the very successful Tesla Model S, USA Today reported.
"We want to encourage others to participate in creating the hydrogen society. By engaging our collective brain power, these possibilities can become reality," the publication quoted Toyota chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada as saying. To publicly manifest the goodwill, the automaker declared in 2015 that it is going to freely share over 5,600 patents related to the hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Uchiyamada, who is often billed as the father of hybrid Prius cars, thinks that hydrogen fuel cell technology is a lasting solution for both energy and environment conservation. But currently, the vision cannot be implemented because unlike widespread network of charging stations for electric cars, the infrastructure of hydrogen fuel station is still under-developed.
While addressing engineers during SAE World Congress that took place at Cobo Center in Detroit on April 14, Uchiyamada said that lack of a proper refueling infrastructure of hydrogen fuel cell cars is holding back the technology. He added that the company firmly believes that this hydrogen car technology has great promise for a green future.
According to Uchiyamada, unavailability of hydrogen fuel station is the biggest hurdle and for hydrogen cars to prosper, a proper fueling network must be developed. Toyota's chairman also said that Toyota is playing a leading role trying to convince the government sector, energy,and automobile companies to help develop a refueling infrastructure for hydrogen cars.
When Toyota successfully made its first hybrid model, it barely drove 500 meters, but their engineers did not quit. After two years of revision and improvements, they were finally able to Prius in 1997, which set a new milestone for electric-gasoline hybrid cars.
So far, Toyota Mirai is the only successful hydrogen fuel cell cars that actually found its way into the market. This year alone, Toyota sold some 100 Mirais. The latest, Toyota's pioneer hydrogen fuel cell car completed a 100,000-kilometer road test, Gizmag reported.
Fully refueling in 3 minutes to drag on a 300-mile run, Mirai features a formidable mileage that truly challenges all-electric contemporaries. The following video features Toyota Mirai road test: