(Photo by Andy on Flickr)
Toyota worked with the Department of Energy, the Savannah
River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
to test its Highlander FCHV-adv recently. The Toyota Highlander FCHV-adv traveled from
Torrance, California to San Diego during a round trip on June 30, 2009. Engineers with the
SNRL and NREL used information from the vehicle’s data collection computer to
determine fuel mileage and range. The Toyota Highlander FCHV-adv lived up to
expectations by achieving 68.3 miles per gallon equivalent using compressed hydrogen gas (CHG).
The Torrance to San Diego route challenged the Highlander
FCHV-adv to perform in different driving conditions. The route encompassed the
typical California driving experience with plenty of highways, stop-and-go
traffic and curves for the Highlander to traverse. The Highlander FCHV-adv was
able to achieve 431 miles on a single filling of CHG despite these driving challenges.
Toyota will use additional data
taken from the Highlander FCHV-adv test to determine its commercial efficacy. The
data collection computer observed everything from speed and distance traveled
to tank pressure and temperature. Toyota plans to release the Highlander
FCHV-adv by 2015, giving the automaker plenty of time to work out minor issues
in vehicle performance.
The raw numbers from the Highlander FCHV-adv test mean nothing
without comparing performance to the existing Highlander Hybrid. Toyota’s
current Highlander Hybrid achieves 26 miles per gallon according to the
Environmental Protection Agency. The FCHV-adv tested out just under the Hybrid’s
450-mile range though the 430-mile CHG range is impressive. Toyota
calculated that the FCHV-adv can run on the equivalent of $2.50 per gallon
compared to the Hybrid’s $3.25 per gallon cost as of August 2009. The tipping
point for eco-conscious consumers interested in a Toyota Highlander is the
FHCV-adv’s lack of greenhouse emissions.
Toyota’s Highlander FCHV-adv test is relevant because
independent engineers confirmed the automaker’s fuel mileage and range claims early in the development process.
The Highlander FCHV-adv will join the existing Highlander Hybrid, the Prius and
the all-electric FT-EV in Toyota’s green vehicle fleet in the second decade of the 21st century. The determining
factor in Toyota’s rollout schedule is the existence of sufficient
infrastructure to accommodate alternative fuel vehicles. Without refueling and
recharging stations nationwide, Toyota might be catering to consumers in California
and small pockets elsewhere in the United States. The 2015 production date for
the FCHV-adv anticipates the vehicle’s readiness but the automaker must be
equally concerned with the state of alternative fuel infrastructure.
