first shown at the Tokyo Motor Show 2013, the Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle Concept Sedan or Toyota FCV Concept will be making its debut in North America at the 2014 International CES next month. the hype of electric-powered vehicles have overshadowed this other alternative fuel which, in our humble opinion, would be more practical form of energy as two hydrogen tanks are good for over 300 miles (about 483 km) and can be topped up in three minutes or less. slated to be available in “around” 2015, the FCV is essentially an electric vehicle, but fueled by fuel cell technology which basically, converts chemical energy from a fuel, and in this case it would be hydrogen, through a chemical reaction with oxygen to produce electricity and emits only water as its by product.

generally speaking, it is definitely a way cleaner alternative to traditional gas and more practical than battery-powered electric drive, in terms of refueling and mileage. not much have been disclosed with respect to what goes under the hood, except for the fact that the FCV has a proprietary small, lightweight FC stack and a pair of 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen tanks fitted under the specially designed body. the FC stack is capable of outputting 3 kW/L, a figure that’s twice of the current system, and has an output of over 100 kW. additionally, the onboard fuel cell system features a high-efficiency boost converter that increases the voltage, making it possible to reduce the size of the motor and also the number of fuel cells needed. this lead to achieving a smaller power plant system with enhanced performance while reducing the cost. which means it will, hopefully, be more affordable when it eventually hits the market.

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according to Toyota, when fully fueled, the FC system on the vehicle can generate enough electricity “to meet the daily needs of an average Japanese home (10 kWh) for more than a week” which is needless to say, an incredible feat and makes battery-juiced electric seems paltry. aesthetically, the FCV Concept Sedan does remind us of the Prius, albeit with a bolder front end and a sleeker, flowing form. overall, it has a design that is not ‘too loud’ which makes it plausible for this design to be carried to the actual production vehicle. have a few more look and a clip of the FCV rolling after the break.

Published by Mike

Avid tech enthusiast, gadget lover, marketing critic and most importantly, love to reason and talk.