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Zero emissions performance is one of the
long-established goals of the motor industry and it’s an ambition that’s
nearing reality for Toyota, as it demonstrates this weekend with the UK
debut of its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the FCHV-adv. The car – based
on the American Highlander SUV – has been entered in the Brighton to
London Future Car Challenge, running alongside Toyota’s Prius and Auris
petrol-electric hybrids. FCHV-adv
represents Toyota’s latest development of hybrid fuel cell technology,
which delivers emissions-free running and the kind of performance that
measures up to standard petrol or diesel powered vehicles. Its four
high-pressure tanks have a combined capacity of 156 litres, giving a
potential cruising range of more than 500 miles. It also shows the
strength of hybrid as a core technology for engineering different low or
zero-emissions powertrains.
Toyota’s real-world testing of FCHV-adv
in California has shown the system to be robust and practical, paving
the way for the vehicle to be brought to market from 2015. Here in
Europe, five FCHV-adv will be running in Germany next year as part of
the Clean Energy Partnership’s project to promote sustainable transport.
The initiative, supported by Toyota as an international auto partner,
will also see hydrogen filling stations opened and a fuel supply network
put in place.
FCHV-adv’s maiden UK drive will be
alongside three generations of Prius, the British-built Auris Hybrid and
Prius Plug-in Hybrid on a 60-mile route from Brighton to London.
Organised by the Royal Automobile Club, the event will showcase the
motor industry’s achievements in developing engines that are cleaner and
more fuel efficient, with awards for those that use the least energy
over the course distance. In addition, Toyota is hosting its own Nations
Challenge within the event, pitting the skills of English, Welsh, Scots
and Northern Irish teams at the wheel of identical Auris Hybrid cars.
www.toyotaiqcentral.com
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