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By Danny at 2007-11-14 15:06
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Via press release from Toyota:
Quote:
Fairbanks-To-Vancouver Along The Alaska highway: Toyota Fuel-Cell Logs 2300 Miles In Seven Days, Averages Well-Above 300 Miles Per Tank
11/14/2007 Los Angeles, CA
November 14, 2007 - Los Angeles, CA - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A, Inc., revealed a significant achievement in its ongoing hydrogen-hybrid fuel cell development program at a press conference today at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. A recent 2,300 mile trek in a Toyota Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV) from Fairbanks, Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia along the Alaska-Canadian (ALCAN) highway confirmed substantial progress in reliability and durability, cold-weather operation and extended range capability of Toyota's hybrid fuel cell system.
"When our Torrance-based product planners and engineers heard about Toyota Motor Corporation's (TMC) plan to run a distance of 348 miles from Osaka, Japan to Tokyo on a single tank of hydrogen, they thought it was a great idea…that probably didn't go far enough in showing how far this new system had advanced," said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager.
"Beyond the single-tank range capability, this new system was developed to deal with two major challenges to the refinement of fuel-cell power-trains. That is, starting and operating in cold temperatures and standing up to the vibration and harshness of rough road conditions…over a long distance…over a long time.
"Equally important, was to show how the development of Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell powertrains continue to move forward and mature at an impressive pace, far in advance of an infrastructure that will be necessary to support them."
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By Danny at 2007-11-05 08:51
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This month's Toyota e-bulletin has some timely "information" (some might call it propoganda) regarding hybrid technologies - now and in the future. You'll notice in the article that the only technologies with negatives are ones that Toyota does not currently employ (Mild Hybrids, Series Hybrids, Plug-Ins, and Li-ion batteries). It does provide mostly good and accurate, though biased, information. You can check out the whole Toyota eBulletin here (caution: pdf link).
Current And Future Hybrid Technology:
What's In It For Consumers?
As the mainstreaming of hybrid technology accelerates, and the price of oil hits record highs, Toyota factories churn out hybrids in an array of vehicle segments. And at the same time, Toyota engineers aggressively research near- and long-term solutions, from plugin hybrids to advanced batteries to fuel cells.
In the not-too-distant-future, a large portion of vehicles will employ a hybrid powertrain of some description. In this fast-changing landscape, here's a quick overview of current and near-future hybrid technologies, along with their advantages and disadvantages to consumers.
• Parallel hybrids have both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, which both power the vehicle, sometimes separately or in combination. Most hybrids currently sold in North America are parallel, including all Toyota and Lexus hybrids.
- Advantages for consumers: As illustrated by the more than 1 million Toyota hybrids on the road worldwide, parallel hybrids are proven, reliable, easy to use and widely accepted by consumers. Operation is nearly indistinguishable from current conventional vehicles, with the bonus
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By Danny at 2007-10-30 16:38
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Via press release today from Toyota:
Quote:
October 30, 2007 – Torrance, CA - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. will stage the world premiere of the all-new 2008 Sequoia full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) and also make a major announcement regarding Toyota's fuel cell
development program at a press conference at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The press conference will be held on Wednesday, November 14 at 12:15 PM at the Toyota exhibit space in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. A video clip of the press conference will be available for viewing following the event on the Toyota.com website.
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