About the Vehicle
Toyota's Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle
Toyota leased the first market ready fuel cell vehicle in December of 2002 to customers in Japan and the US. The brain of the FCHV is the power control unit, which manages the fuel cell output and battery charging/discharging in accordance with the driving conditions. Toyota created its own solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack with an output of 90 kW or 120 horsepower. The permanent magnet motor is similarly rated at 90 kW with a maximum torque of 260 N-m or 192 lb-ft. During deceleration this motor acts as a generator, recovering energy and storing it in the battery. The nickel/metal hydride battery supplements the fuel cell output during acceleration. Four hydrogen tanks store the gas at 35 Mpa or 5000 psi. One other advancement worth mentioning is the air conditioner which uses CO2 in place of refrigerant. In addition, Toyota lightened the vehicle by using aluminum in place of steel in the hood, roof, fenders and side doors.