Toyota and Nissan FCV: System development and early popularization approaches
From Technical Sessions at Battery Japan 2018 and Automotive World 2018
2018/04/02
- Summary
- Toyota: Developing next generation vehicles with zero environmental impact
- Toyota MIRAI: Cost reduction and downsizing of fuel cell systems
- Toyota: Approaches toward the popularization of FCVs
- Nissan: Electric vehicles and energy sources
- Nissan e-Bio Fuel Cell: Development of bioethanol fuel cell vehicles
- Nissan: Challenges to the mass production and popularization of hydrogen FCVs
Summary
This report presents the approaches of Toyota and Nissan towards the development and popularization of fuel cell vehicles. The contents are based on the technical session presentations given by Toyota and Nissan at the 10th Automotive World (January 2018) and the 14th FC Expo (February 2018) held at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center. Below are the highlights of the presentations.
Toyota: Hydrogen society and FCV development
Toyota is launching the "MIRAI" fuel cell vehicle (FCV) as the answer to realize a hydrogen society. Hydrogen is a high-potential future energy source and FCVs are considered the ultimate eco-cars. The MIRAI, with its short refilling time and long range, offers convenient features on a par with those of gasoline engine vehicles. The Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), aims to further continue to reduce the cost of FCV and achieve downsizing.
Toyota aims to sell more than 30,000 FCVs per year globally and about 10,000 units in Japan beyond the 2020s. To promote the widespread early adoption of FCVs, Toyota has given free access to its fuel cell related patents and is also undertaking various programs such as the introduction of FCV buses and conducting field testing of heavy-duty commercial FC trucks.
Nissan: Development of electric vehicles and fuel cell technology
In its pursuit to resolve the four issues caused by the popularization of automobiles (i.e. energy conservation, global warming, traffic congestion, and traffic accidents), Nissan is taking an optimization approach (Electrification and Intelligent Mobility) by developing and commercializing technologies that can be adapted to regional energy production capabilities.
The new "e-Bio Fuel Cell" is equipped with its Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) system that uses 100% ethanol or ethanol-blended water as fuel. The concept promises to realize advantages such as exhaust gas emissions that are almost as clean as natural air, low running costs equivalent to that of EVs, and long driving ranges similar to that of gasoline engine vehicles.
However, in the pursuit of popularization of Hydrogen FCVs, there are still many issues to be resolved such as lowering the cost of FCV and the wide deployment of hydrogen station installations.
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| Toyota MIRAI | Nissan e-Bio Fuel Cell (Source: Nissan) |
Related Report:
Toyota's Electrified Vehicle Strategy: Sales of 5.5 million units and 1 million ZEV vehicles by 2030 (Apr. 2018)
Honda FCV: Development and Vision of a Hydrogen Energy Society (Mar. 2018)
Evolving EV Technologies; Nissan and Honda Approaches to Electrification (Mar. 2018)
Tokyo Motor Show 2017: Toyota unveils numerous concept vehicles (Nov. 2017)
Nissan's EV Strategy: Introduce EVs in all major vehicle segments by 2022 (Sep. 2017)
Toyota's strategy for EVs and PHVs: Joint EV development with Mazda (Sep. 2017)
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