The car of the future may be arriving earlier then expected with Toyota's FCV. The Fuel Cell Car is set to be available on the market in 2015. The design is made to maximize oxygen intake for the fuel cell process. It is estimated to travel 300 miles (480 kilometers) per fill-up.
Instead of running on a gas engine, the Toyota FCV will run on a hydrogen fuel cell with water vapor being its most harmful emissions.
Toyota unveiled a prototype at last year's Tokyo Auto Show but offered much more detail this time around.
At this point in time, hydrogen refill stations are very sparse but this is something the automaker is working on increasing. The price for the vehicle is still under wraps, as well as the release date but Bob Carter, Toyota Motor Sales Vice President stated, "we believe we can bring it in at a very reasonable price for a lot of people."
I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the "car of the future" will be.
What's Driving This Trend
- Hydrogen Refill Stations Expansion
- The sparse hydrogen refill stations presents an innovation opportunity to whoever invests in expanding this network.
- Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology Advancement
- The hydrogen fuel cell technology still in developmental stages, it presents an opening for research and development for whoever seeks to innovate on it.
- Hydrogen-powered Public Transportation
- Developing a hydrogen-powered public transportation system could turn out to be a game-changing innovation opportunity for whoever pursues this venture.
Who This Affects Most
- Automotive Industry
- The automotive industry has an opportunity to invest in and contribute to shaping the future of transportation through the emission-free Toyota FCV.
- Energy Industry
- The energy industry could invest in the expansion of hydrogen refill stations to support the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles that aim to replace gasoline.
- Urban Transportation Industry
- The urban transportation industry is in a position to innovate given the opportunity that hydrogen-powered public transportation could bring as a more eco-friendly commuting option.
