Much is made of car manufacturers lowering emissions but how about a car that’s only waste product is water? Well that is the plan for Toyota who are set to unveil their latest technological achievement in the form of a full Hydrogen powered family car in 2015. In a move that is set to leave it’s competitors choking on it’s exhaust fumes, well, leave them a bit wet from the water vapour at least, Toyota are hedging their bets on the roll out of Hydrogen fueling stations to power their fleet of eco friendly vehicles.
So what are the headlines for the FCV-R Concept? Well it will have a range of up to 350 miles, however speculation would have us believe that this will be closer to 300 miles on a full ‘fuel cell’. Coming in at around £70k, the FCV-R will not be cheap, though Toyota admit that further development would mean that the price may yet come down. As for performance, running costs and pretty much any other details, we are still unsure, but it is an interesting development if nothing else.
It goes without saying the the massive changes needed in infrastructure are not going to happen over night but it is at least a large indication to the way of things to come in the future. With the even the most prestigious manufacturers bowing to the need to adhere to more stringent emission laws and looking for alternative ways of powering their petrol-thirsty monsters, Hydrogen does seem to be semi-viable option for the future. However, I would imagine more development in hybrid technologies will squeeze every last drop out of the planets oil reserves before we see the full switch-over to the eco-friendly option.