"The really exciting part of our powertrain research is that the advances we have made in building the Prius will aid our efforts in developing fuel cell-powered vehicles," explains Watanabe, who has followed the progress of Toyota’s fuel cell vehicle research since 1992. "Currently, an internal combustion engine provides motive power in the Prius. But what if we replaced that engine with a fuel cell? The same efficiencies that we have realized here can be—and will be—applied in Toyota’s Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle."
The lead that Toyota enjoys in battery technologies and in power control and distribution technologies will contribute greatly to the eventual realization of a commercially viable fuel cell vehicle. "Like the Prius,
which draws energy from an internal combustion engine and the batteries, Toyota’s Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle also enjoys the benefits of two energy sources—the fuel cells and the batteries. That’s what makes it a hybrid."
Fuel cells operate on the chemical principle of reverse electrolysis. Just as scientists can apply an electric current to water to split it into hydrogen and oxygen, fuel cell researchers combine these two gases in the presence of a catalyst to create electricity and water. The process is clean and extremely efficient. "If fueled with pure hydrogen, a fuel cell vehicle is absolutely emissions-free. It’s the ultimate eco-car," smiles Watanabe.
Fuel Cell Hybrids