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Featured Toyota Chasing Tesla Styling With 2nd Generation 2021 Mirai Fuel Cell Vehicle

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Danny, Oct 10, 2019.

  1. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Going back to the OP's / Danny's post #1 .... that they are "chasing" Tesla (style) .... it dawned on me that's an admission that they are behind. You don't chase from out front;

    How odd for the Toyota Corporation to brag that they're getting cool because they're getting more like a Tesla. It's like they are advertising for another company. Going back, and rereading some of the other advertising nuggets;
    you can't feel you could drive it all the time - when it only can go in a little radius that it's little infrastructure paid for by taxpayers affords it. At least electricity is pretty much everywhere 99.9% of the places that people are.
    Next deliberate misspeak;
    It never needs to be plugged in? Really? An electric car can be recharged inductively, & there are a handful of manufacturers that provide inductive appliances for electric cars. So ... between solar, & it's ability to recharge an electric car economically (compared to hydrogen reformation via electrolysis which wastes ~⅔ of the power that could otherwise go to a battery) present-day hydrogen cars must ALWAYS need to get plugged in. A fuel cell car simply uses it's battery as a buffer for hydrogen. Hydrogen, like gasoline has to be plugged into its refueling hose in order for the car to get you where you need to go. But then, this fits the Lexus narrative, when they try to damn BEV's, as they claim that their hybrids generate their own electricity, never needing to be plugged in (to a gasoline hose) . You got to love that double speak.
    .
     
    #241 hill, Oct 19, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2020
  2. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    In 35 years of driving I've had four incidents where the road was unexpectedly closed and I had to turn around and go back, though this last one was the longest detour. The previous longest was 90 miles and 4 extra hours in 10 degree F temperatures at night. The shortest was 30 miles and two hours.

    My point is, because of this possibility I never let available range drop below 150 miles.
     
  3. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    I was standing at a barricade talking to a state trooper who told me that all the routes to my destination were closed aside from the one going back where I came from. I was in Durango, Colorado trying to get to Montrose. Both 550 and 149 were closed due to the fire (both Google Maps and the CDOT app said they were open) and I had to go back to Cortez where I came from and take 145 through the mountains. I was in the car with my family of four, and because of the diversion we didn't get there until 6:45pm. Since we had to be in Dillon the next morning, we didn't have time to wait around. When I got to the barricade I had already driven 353 miles without passing a charger since I had left Page, AZ the previous day. I then drove 189 miles more back through Cortez to get to Montrose. Of course, since I was in the Prime, I made it easily and filled up in two minutes the next day.
     
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  4. iplug

    iplug Senior Member

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    Aye Yai Yai!

    Well, the I’s have it then.
     
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  5. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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  6. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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  7. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Got to start somewhere - this opens new doors of possibilities.
     
  8. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    not too much love, it seems. From the article;
    . . . . not that all hydrogen science projects are fraud .... in fact the larger - (bigger than most side-by-side refrigerator freezer) sized versions of these don't do too horribly bad in large business / Commercial buildings.
    .
     
  9. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Australian Tesla Powerwall rival set to bring hydrogen into your home
    Australian invented hydrogen storage for homes and businesses hits the market | RenewEconomy
    if you have reached your free limit for Bloomberg.

    Price per kWh is about the same in Australia, but it's a 40kWh, so it is the same as buying three Powerwalls at a time. No discussion on maintenance for the electrolyzer. Like your iron or coffee maker, mineral build up will have to be dealt with. Without saying, it does reequire a water source.

    Of course, no talk on the efficiency in comparison to a battery. It claims twice the life of a Powerwall, which puts it in the service range of a flow battery, and some of those are coming to market.

    I can see some applications where this could be better. Since it uses hydride storage, it ain't going to work for fueling a hydrogen car though.
     
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  10. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    This has been done before as a diy project in New Jersey as I recall.
    It is good to see it being done on a larger scale. Again, the target of this is to supply power for homes that already have solar power.
    Great concept.

    The storage amount (40kW) is equivalent to 1.2 kg of Hydrogen. It is likely stored at a lower pressure than needed to pump into a vehicle.
    It is designed for either power backup, or off grid homes.
     
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  11. iplug

    iplug Senior Member

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    With economies of scale, maybe size x100 and could micro-grid houses. Additional benefit in CA with forest fires and shut offs in high risks areas on windy days.
     
  12. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    It is using metal hydride for storage. The system working at pressures not much higher than ambient is a plus for safety and maintenance.
     
  13. iplug

    iplug Senior Member

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    "many household solar arrays may not generate enough electricity to run the system efficiently"

    So if efficiency is really lowsy, like <50%, wont make sense to do this in lieu of batteries. Another reason why hydrogen, if it does ultimately make sense, will start at larger scale first. Still interesting to see where this goes.

    More specs at Lavo &#8211; Changing the way people live with energy

    Only 5 kW (charge and discharge) real power, max continuous - so this wont be enough to run AC in most homes. Also, they claim 30 year life but same 10 year warranty as Powerwall. Also, maintenance at a minimum requires a water supply with a purification unit.
     
    #253 iplug, Oct 20, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2020
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  14. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Unless your going around in circles.

    Drive all the time - as in no need to plug in and kill time.

    It does not plug into anything - maybe you mean it attaches to a dispenser for less than 5 minutes and gives you 312 miles of electric power all free for 3 years of pleasurable driving in a well made Toyota product.

    They learned from the best - Tesla.

    ---------------MERGED---------
     
    #254 orenji, Nov 12, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 12, 2020
  15. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    Well, there is finally something we agree on. Toyota is going in circles ;)
     
  16. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Chasing Tesla so appears by Tesla fans.
     
  17. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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  18. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    There is a thread here just on Cummins and hydrogen, but were a couple of sound bites in that article.

    "It’s a big deal because hydrogen, as a no-carbon alternative to fuel the global economy, is a new thing—again."
    "Ballard stock traded as high as near $145 back in 2000, though shares were at $15.81 in Wednesday trading."

    Cummins also makes engines for stationary power. Be interesting to learn where they see hydrogen being most likely.
     
  19. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    isn't the OP article trying to claim Toyota's hydrogen car is trying to chase Tesla style?
    or did it turn into Cummins engines. Must'a missed that. maybe this could be another whole opportunity, talking about a Cummins engine, to start yet another whole thread - as to why hydrogen CARS , are so wonderful. Missed opportunity

    .
     
  20. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Ah you don’t like the Hydrogen love being published daily in the news.