Toyota Showcases its Portable Hydrogen Cartridges
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Japanese automaking giant Toyota has unveiled lightweight hydrogen cartridges that could allow hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCEVs) drivers to recharge their vehicles in minutes. Designed to look like massive AA batteries, the hydrogen cartridges could also be used to power electrical devices and even homes similar to many modern EV batteries.
Toyota is the only major established carmaker that has refrained from developing battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Aside from the Toyota Prius, currently Toyota’s only electrified car and the most successful hybrid on the globe, the Japanese company has mostly focused on hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. These cars use liquid hydrogen as a fuel source with water as the only by-product, making them a potentially ideal replacement for fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
Toyota is set to showcase several sustainable projects during the upcoming Japan Mobility Bizweek. The developments will include Toyota’s portable hydrogen cartridges and the potential they have in the nascent alternative energy vehicle industry.
Next-generation hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles using these cartridges would be able to swap depleted ones for fully charged cartridges in a matter of minutes, eliminating the long wait times typically associated with recharging electric cars. The project was originally developed by Woven, Toyota’s mobility tech subsidiary and project members built a working prototype of the portable hydrogen cartridge in 2022.
Toyota seems to have spent the past few years refining the prototypes, resulting in lighter and more portable cartridges. According to Toyota, its experience with hydrogen tanks allowed it to cut the weight and size of the portable hydrogen cartridges. The latest designs are so light and compact they can be carried by hand, an extreme rarity in an industry where EV batteries account for most of an electric vehicle’s weight.
Their size would make battery swaps at designated stations faster and much more affordable as it eliminates the need for specialized equipment that can handle a typical EV battery’s weight. Furthermore, Toyota believes the rechargeable portable cartridges could find uses outside of hydrogen fuel cell EVs, such as burning hydrogen for cooking or even generating enough electricity to power a home. Toyota has teamed up with Rinnai Corporation to exhibit a stove that uses hydrogen from portable cartridges to cook.
While the lightweight portable cartridges are still in the concept stage, Toyota feels they could provide a cheap and convenient means of transporting hydrogen to homes and offices without having to build massive networks of hydrogen pipes.
Hydrogen-powered new energy vehicles will face stiff competition from the fully-electric vehicles being commercialized by many companies, such as Life Electric Vehicles Holdings Inc. (OTC: LFEV) given that EVs have had a head-start on the market in comparison to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Life Electric Vehicles Holdings Inc. (OTC: LFEV) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/LFEV
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