New FCV Plus concept car produces clean energy for home and road use.
Some hybrid vehicle owners are using their home solar arrays to recharge their cars’ batteries. Now Toyota has rolled out a new hydrogen-powered car that can also power your home.
Introduced earlier this week at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Toyota FCV Plus concept care demonstrates the company’s commitment to hydrogen powered vehicles, according to CNET. The car underscores Toyota’s notion that future energy needs will be met by hydrogen, whether on the road or at home.
Hydrogen-powered vehicles use hydrogen to create electricity, emitting nothing more than water. Since the cars create electric power without damaging emissions, Toyota believes the car’s power supply can be diverted to homes when the car is off the road.
Off-road power generation would be made possible with large external hydrogen tanks, saving the car’s tanks for driving.
The FCV seats four, despite its small footprint. Each wheel has its own motor, with the fuel cell power system in the center and a hydrogen tank in back. The car is about six inches shorter than the company’s current Yaris model, but otherwise about the same size, with an even roomier interior.
Hydrogen fueling stations are still in short supply, so many observers believe it will still be a few years before hydrogen vehicles will be practical for mass production.