Hydrogen: Energy for a New Age > Visit 5

Hydrogen: Energy for a New Age > Visit 4

Hydrogen: Energy for a New Age > Visit 3

Hydrogen: Energy for a New Age > Visit 2

The beautiful city of Cologne renowned for its High Gothic architectural cathedral was the next stop on the journey.

 

It is also known for its important chemical industry.  Who would have imagined that a by-product from this industry could power a vehicle.

This chemical industry uses a lot of energy and produces some considerable by-products that traditionally have not always been used in an efficient manner. One of these by-products is what interests us, hydrogen, a by-product of the industrial production of chlorine and enough of it to power 1000 buses per day.

The clever people within HyCologne, an organisation of 28 public and private partners, saw this by-product as an opportunity.  It led to the construction of a hydrogen fuel station right next to a plant and the subsequent ramp up of a fleet of hydrogen powered buses for the Cologne region.  One of the key benefits of this initiative is the reduction in local pollution of particulate matter associated with transport.  They (the RVK – Regionalverkehr Köln (in German) – local transport company) currently have 2 Fuel Cell buses and wish to extend their fleet by 30 more, by 2019 and transform their entire fleet of 300 vehicles to hydrogen by 2030.

Toyota is also promoting hydrogen buses in Japan and expects to have over 100 in operation mainly in the Tokyo area in the run up to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Whether it’s individual or collective transportation, hydrogen has the answer.

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Hydrogen: Energy for a New Age > Visit 1

Hydrogen: Energy for a New Age

The Hydrogen Tour

 

The chicken or the egg.  An age old dilemma. You know the story, you need experience to get a job but you need a job to get experience. How does anything new get off the ground when both sides of the argument need some sort of kick start?

The same could be said of the Hydrogen Society, and especially linked to transport.  Many companies, and especially Toyota, are developing hydrogen powered vehicles but why would anyone want to buy a car that they cannot refuel anywhere due to the lack of fuelling stations?

To try and dispel the myths, we at Toyota Motor Europe set out on a Hydrogen Society Tour.  A road trip with a difference.

We drove from Hamburg in the North of Germany, to Stuttgart in the glorious state of Baden-Württemberg in the South and back, racking up a total of 900km of emission-free driving.

And contrary to a typical road test, the invited media were not only there to test our car – the Mirai, (although it did serve as means of transport throughout the trip) but to see what is happening today with regards to hydrogen production and distribution.  The aim being to demonstrate that hydrogen is neither the chicken nor the egg and that through close collaboration we can make the Hydrogen Society and the transition from our dependence on carbon, a reality.

Follow our journey through Germany over the next 5 posts, enjoy!

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Meet the Mirai European owners

Mirai: 0 % emissions. 100% visionary.

Toyota has a proud history of disruptive and visionary thinking: pioneering the first ever mass-produced hybrid 1997, and going further by introducing the futuristic hydrogen-powered Mirai in 2014. Going strong since its launch, Mirai is fully electric though doesn’t need any recharging, using its unique fuel cell stack to generate electric power, with absolutely no emissions.

As more and more people embrace the Mirai vision, it is changing the way we drive, showing that hydrogen is not just a distant possibility anymore and the future is finally here.. We have met with some of the first Mirai owners to understand their vision on future of mobility and how the pioneering Mirai technology helps us move closer towards a hydrogen society.

Mirai has at its heart a unique and avant-guard technology, which caters to very different customer profiles: from those embracing the renewable energy cause, those working to building hydrogen infrastructures, those using the Mirai in their everyday life, to a mom raising the new generation of environmentalists.

Birgit Liodden is the very first private Mirai owner in Norway and a passionate environmentalist, who decided to become part of the solution to the pollution problem in Oslo by embracing the hydrogen technology and using Mirai as her everyday car.

 

Robert Döring is Head of Public Policy at Enertrag, one of the largest Europe-wide operating company in the field of renewable energy. The same way his company is one of the pioneers in its field, using Mirai as company car reflects the same spirit by its pioneering and innovative fuel cell technology at its core.

 

Ulrika Lindahl works as a project manager and development strategists at the municipality of Mariestad, a Swedish city that is largely investing in renewable infrastructure: 2 pre-school completely run by solar cells and hydrogen, as well as a solar park connected to an energy system with a fuel cell station.

 

Nicolas Iwan is the managing director of H2 Mobility, an initiative which aims to build hydrogen infrastructure in Germany. Driving a Mirai helps Nicolas to support his cause and prove that hydrogen works and is in fact the future of mobility.

 

Jakob Kroksgaard is one of the founders of H2 Logic, now part of NEL Hydrogen group which is active in building hydrogen refuelling stations. Driving a Mirai fits perfectly with Jakob’s professional occupation, and is also his choice for everyday driving as it’s a sustainable, comfortable and reliable car. In fact, Jakob has been driving his Mirai for over 77,000 kilometers, and counting.

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Figure of the month: 90%

90% is the reduction of rear-end collisions thanks to Toyota’s set of advanced safety technologies.

Instead of keeping safety features in a car only the happy few can afford, Toyota has been a strong advocate of popularising safety. The idea is simple: the more affordable, the more widespread. And ultimately, all those safer cars on the road benefit us all.

That is why now an entire set of safety features comes as standard, even when buying an entry-level car.

Research has now proven that Toyota’s belief is paying off.

Toyota Safety Sense

Toyota found that your chances of having an accident reduce with -50%* when you have Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) installed in your car. TSS is an umbrella name for a set of safety features, such as Pre-Collision System (with Pedestrian Detection), Lane Departure Alert and Adaptive Cruise Control amongst others: https://www.toyota-europe.com/world-of-toyota/safety/

If on top of TSS, your car has the Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS) feature, you will have -90%* less chance of having a rear-end collision. ICS has been designed to support manoeuvring at lower speeds, for example in parking lots and garages, where pedal misapplication is more likely to occur.

For the record, the data are gathered by the Japanese safety authorities**, but it is reasonable to believe that Toyota’s safety features will have a similar positive influence on European accident stats.

We examined data from close to 250,000 vehicles, comparing those with and without Toyota safety equipment, over a 1-year period (Dec 2015-Dec 2016).

What about Europe?

Looking at Europe, we are particularly proud of another, related figure: 92%. It refers to the percentage of units sold in 2017 with Toyota Safety Sense, either as standard or option. This figure is testimony to the fact that we are serious when we talk about popularising advanced safety technologies.

Did you know … that TSS is standard from our Yaris (B-segment) upwards? It is even available as an option on the Aygo (A-segment)!

That surely gives some grounds for hope to reduce European accidents in the future.

 

 

* The accident incidence rate is calculated by dividing the number of accidents by the number of vehicles in operation (converted from the number of vehicles sold based on the timing of sale).

• Subject vehicle series: Prius

• Survey period: December 2015 – December 2016

• Survey subjects: Approximately 247,000 vehicles in total; 84,000 equipped with TSS P; 121,000 equipped with TSS P and ICS; 42,000 without TSS P or ICS.

** Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA)

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The ABC of hydrogen

Hydrogen.

Fuel cell cars.

The Toyota Mirai.

You may have heard about it – but how much do you know?

Do the test. Impress your friends in the pub with below 26 buzzwords. And become a true hydrogen genius.

*A*ll around us
Remember the periodic table from chemistry class? Hydrogen (H) is on the far left, top row. It is the most common atom to be found in the universe. You’ll find it in water, H₂0, for example. But as in water, H bonds to other chemical elements. That means we need ways to isolate it if we want to produce pure H₂ hydrogen fuel.

*B*attery

Fuel cell vehicles have batteries. A nickel-metal hydride battery to be precise. The battery is very useful as it stores the energy that is released when you decelerate or brake. That energy is then used to boost the performance of your car every time you accelerate. At lower speeds, when parking for example, the car runs on the battery alone. It is the same principle that applies to all Toyota hybrid cars.

*C*onventional car

Hydrogen-powered cars are no oddities. They are available on the market today. In fact, sales of Toyota’s fuel cell car, called Mirai (Japanese for ‘Future’), started back in December 2014. The Toyota Mirai has an extremely advanced powertrain, using a new type of fuel. Still, the Mirai is a regular mid-size, four-door sedan that is every bit as practical, safe and easy to drive as a conventionally powered family car. In the end, you would almost forget you have to put hydrogen in it…

*D*isaster (support)

It’s comforting to know that in the event of a natural disaster that affects energy supply networks, a fuel cell car can come to the rescue. Especially in regions that are typically affected by natural disasters, like earthquake struck Japan. The car’s fuel cell stack can be used to supply energy to power home essentials for up to a week in an emergency. Think of it as having an electric generator enclosed in your garage when you have six feet of snow and 30° below outside …and zero emissions to worry about on the inside.

*E*lectricity

With all the current attention on electric vehicles, you could almost forget that the fuel cell car is an … electric vehicle. The wheels are driven by the electricity generated by the fuel cell stack. The only difference with a battery powered electric vehicle (BEV) is that the electricity is generated inside the vehicle instead of being taken from outside the vehicle. How? See F(uel cell stack).

*F*uel cell stack

The fuel cell stack is at the heart of the car. It’s where the magic happens. In goes the hydrogen and oxygen, out comes the electricity to power the wheels (with only water vapour at the tailpipe as an emission).

For the more scientifically inclined: A fuel cell converts the energy stored in the hydrogen to electricity by using an electrolyte, which separates the hydrogen’s protons and electrons to create a stream of electrons (electricity). The fuel cell’s electrochemical process creates water and heat as by-products rather than greenhouse gases.

Hungry for more information? Look at this video and see the magic happening before your eyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSxPkyZOU7E

*G*reen hydrogen

The environment wins when we create electricity from renewables such as solar, wind and hydropower instead of fossil fuels. We all know that. However, what needs to be very carefully monitored is the balance between demand and supply. Sunny days generate a lot of electricity at a time when there might not be an immediate demand for it. This causes peaks and imbalances in the electricity grid.

Hydrogen is a very promising energy carrier as it can store this electricity surplus that is not immediately used. This type of hydrogen produced from renewables is called green hydrogen. Ideally, we should move to 100% green hydrogen in the future.

*H* or H2?

Bear with us; this gets a bit more technical. Hydrogen (H) is the simplest and most common atom known to exist. But as H is an element that can’t exist by itself, it will always combine with another element in order to be stable. Water (H₂0) is such an example. So when we need H₂ to fuel the car, we need to combine 2 hydrogen elements. Read P(roduction) to see how that happens.

*I*ntellectual property (patents)

In 2015, Toyota did something unprecedented. Rather than keeping our 20-year investment and built up know-how in-house, we announced that we would share ALL of our 5,680 Hydrogen-fuel-cell-related global patents with interested parties. Royalty-free.

Approximately 1,970 licenses are related to the fuel cell stack, about 290 to the high-pressure hydrogen tank and about 3,350 to the fuel cell system control technology.

*J*apan

Japan has the largest number of hydrogen stations in operation in one single country. The island currently has around 100 stations, with many more planned in the future. Why is Japan making large investments in a future hydrogen society? The country pays a high cost to import most of its energy and is eager to become more self-reliant. And the need to explore alternative energy sources has accelerated since the Fukushima incident.

*K*ilowatt

Toyota Mirai’s fuel cell stack has a world-leading volume power density of 3.1kW/L. This figure is the result of dividing 113 kW (the energy that the fuel cell stack produces) by 36.5 litres (the volume of the stack). Is that any good? Well, it’s an indicator about the size of the fuel cell stack. We have managed to come up with a more compact, lighter fuel cell stack with improved performance. And one that can easily be mounted underneath the floor of a sedan, thanks to its reduced size.

bu*LL*sh*t

Did you know hydrogen can be produced from practically anything – even bullsh*t? No kidding. Watch this YouTube movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pTluy9KpYU. The process of splitting water (H₂O) into its atomic components, hydrogen and oxygen, is called ‘Electrolysis’ -> see P(roduction).

*M*irai

The Mirai is the name of Toyota’s fuel cell vehicle. It means ‘Future’ in Japanese. Fuel cell cars emit zero emissions when driving, so we believe that these cars are a promising technology (not only for cars) for the future. In order for these cars to become mainstream – just like Toyota’s hybrid vehicles – they have to be made affordable. Fuel cell system costs have decreased by 95%, compared to the Mirai’s predecessor; the 2008 FCHV-adv. Components are smaller, lighter, more efficient and cheaper to produce in volume. The system also shares many common parts with our hybrid models, including the electric motor. This saves cost and increases reliability.

*N*etwork in Europe

It is true that we are in the early stages of developing a network for making, distributing and selling hydrogen fuel. However, this network is growing every day. When the Mirai was launched in Europe in 2015, 40 refuelling stations were available in European countries. By 2020, there will be an estimated 200 stations and by 2025, this number will be closer to 1000. As well as securing a good number of sites, it is important that these are strategically located, serving major cities and the principal routes that link them.

*O*lympic

How do the Olympic Games relate to hydrogen? You may or may not know that in 2020 the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in Tokyo, Japan. As usual, this four-yearly global sports event is expected to attract millions of fans that will come to cheer on their national teams. To move from one place to another they will be needing transportation. In Tokyo, Toyota intends to facilitate these journeys by showcasing its vision of a complete hydrogen society.

(hydrogen) *P*roduction

Hydrogen fuel can be obtained from many different sources that are in plentiful supply. In Europe, most hydrogen is currently produced from steam methane reforming (which uses natural gas as the source material) or from electrolysis (that produces hydrogen out of water). It is already possible to use renewable sources, such as solar, wind or hydro power for the electrolysis process.

This is key to ensure the “well to wheel” carbon performance of hydrogen is excellent. All hydrogen production in Denmark for example, is from renewable sources. Germany and other countries are expected to adopt this “green” type of hydrogen production in the coming years.

*Q*DR (Quality, Durability and Reliability)

Toyota is famous for its quality. The same goes for the Mirai. The engineers have spared no effort and put the fuel cell car through a challenging 200,000km endurance test. 14 engineers drove the Mirai for 254 days, 16 hours/day on city streets, motorways and country roads. The car had to weather temperatures going from 37 to minus 20 degrees Celsius, with no report of start-up problems. Conclusion? There were no mechanical breakdowns. The car underwent normal maintenance and operated with 100% reliability. Only the brake discs were replaced once and brake pads three times.

*R*efuelling & *R*ange

Refuelling is similar to conventional cars. It takes between three and five minutes. It is clearly one of the benefits of choosing a fuel cell vehicle. Range: It will go as far as a similar size petrol car on a full tank of hydrogen.

(hydrogen) *S*ociety

We believe that there are great environmental and social benefits to be secured from building a future society based on using CO₂-free hydrogen and renewable energy sources. This forms an important part of our long-term Environmental Challenge 2050 and our desire to create true harmony between society and nature.

Hydrogen is a clean, efficient means of producing electricity that is not vulnerable to fluctuations in supply. As well as creating no CO₂ emissions when used, hydrogen fuel also has a higher energy density than batteries and is easy to transport and store. It can be used not only for powering vehicles (private cars, buses, trucks, taxis, forklifts, trains and even planes) but homes and factories as well.

*T*ogether

Here is a fact: a single company can never be successful in building the future hydrogen society on its own. That is why Toyota joins cross-industry consortiums to promote actively the development and commercialization of the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors. Members are key stakeholders, such as policy makers, business and hydrogen players, international agencies and society as a whole.

The 13 founding members of the ‘Hydrogen Council’ are leading energy, transport and industry companies determined to position hydrogen among the key solutions of the energy transition.

b*U*s, tr*U*cks & other (heavy d*U*ty) units

Let us not mislead you into thinking that hydrogen is only being used as a fuel in passenger cars. In fact, more than 50 million tons of hydrogen are being used globally in industrial applications on a yearly basis. Thus, it is well established. Looking at the auto industry, Toyota is experimenting with trucks, buses and forklifts.

In Los Angeles we’re testing a fuel cell heavy-duty truck to move cargo around the port. Forklifts are another application that can fully rely on hydrogen: Toyota is testing a few units at a plant in Japan, and aims to deploy around 180 units by 2020. And more than hundred Toyota fuel cell buses will take you around the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

*V*olatile

H₂ is the lightest substance in the universe. Scientists call it ‘highly volatile’ (contrary to what many people think this doesn’t mean it is dangerous). In fact, the volatile characteristic of H₂ makes it very safe. As it is lighter than air, hydrogen rises and dissipates very rapidly, up and away from any ignition source. Unlike traditional gases and their vapours, hydrogen does not collect under and around a vehicle in case of a leak due to a crash for example.

With regards to the hydrogen tank in the car, take a look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVeagFmmwA0 What do you see? Exactly. We fired bullets at the tank in an attempt to try to pierce it on purpose, but nothing happened. Thanks to the carbon fibre reinforced plastic material used, the hydrogen tank’s structure remains intact. The gas merely escapes through the hole and quickly and harmlessly disperses into the atmosphere.

*W*orld Green Car of the Year 2016

We shouldn’t be patting ourselves on the back too much, but in all fairness we must admit that we feel honoured when others – especially media – recognize our efforts by declaring the Toyota Mirai ‘2016 World Green Car of the Year’. At the New York International Auto Show, a jury of 73 international automotive journalists from 23 countries chose the Toyota Mirai from an initial entry list of eight new vehicles from all over the world.

OK, let’s get back to work now. To produce even more ‘ever better cars’.

no*X*

NOx is the generic term for ‘nitrogen oxides’, like nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). It’s one of the harmful emissions coming from the combustion of conventional fuels in a car engine. NOx contributes to the formation of smog and acid rain. Large cities around the world are implementing measures to ban emissions such as NOx from city centres to fight worsening air pollution.

If you’re driving a fuel cell vehicle, such as Toyota’s Mirai, you do not have to worry about being banned from city centre driving. The car does not emit NOx nor any other harmful emissions. You will only leave a trail of water vapour coming from the car’s tailpipe

wh*Y* hydrogen?

We are often asked why Toyota is investing in fuel cell cars rather than in electric cars? We don’t think one is better than the other. And we are investing in both. We feel battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) are complementary as they serve different mobility needs from the customer.

BEVs are better suited for short distances in an urban environment. Downtime is still an issue due to long charging times – even with a supercharger it takes 20 minutes or more. So is range anxiety. With FCEVs fuelling only takes 3 to 5 minutes and you can cover long distances, on a par with a conventional petrol car.

*Z*ero emissions

Could we end on a more positive note? Fuel cell electric vehicles are fully zero emission cars when driving.

Full stop.

(For the sake of completeness, you may want to know that water vapour is coming out of the tailpipe. Around 70ml/km if you really want to know. And yes, the water is so pure you could drink it – we wouldn’t recommend it though as the water has been running through the car’s pipes after all …However, some do…).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/features/fuel-cell-cars-emit-nothing-water-brewing-tea-next-logical/

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Toyota Mirai powers through 200,000km test on European roads

This car is called ‘Mirai’ for a reason – it means ‘future’ in Japanese.

Toyota Mirai is the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle. Using hydrogen as fuel to generate electricity and emitting only water, the Mirai makes superior environmental performance a reality.

The car to contribute to a sustainable future society has been launched in Japan, the US and in Europe – UK, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway throughout 2015 and 2016.

Meanwhile, a third party has endorsed the Mirai’s driving performance through an extensive and demanding road testing in Germany, Italy, Austria and Norway. The test ran over an eight-month period spanning all four seasons.

A distance equivalent to driving 78 times from Brussels to Moscow

Starting in Hamburg, the road test covered a wide range of areas that represented all types of Europe-specific driving conditions. These areas included cities, countryside and motorways including German autobahns with no speed limit.

As the road test took place during all four seasons, the Mirai was exposed to a wide spectrum of outside temperatures with the coldest being minus 20 degrees Celsius and the highest 37.
Responsibility for the road test was given to KJ Tech Services GmbH of Darmstadt in Germany. Patrick Hake, Project Manager says: “Not only the total distance was specified, but also the amount of time spent on different types of road.”
“We therefore carefully worked out several routes in the areas which represented the most typical road conditions in Europe. Then, we organised a team of fourteen drivers working in one or two shifts per day, six days a week, to ensure we completed the road test according to the exact specifications.”

16 hours a day for 250 days

The first phase of the test ran from September 2015 to February 2016, the second phase from May to November 2016.  For 250 days, the Mirai was on the road for 16 hours per day.

During its 200,000 kilometre journey, the car used around 2,000kg of hydrogen. The tyres were changed five times mostly to switch between summer and winter tyres, thebrake was replaced once and brake pads three times. The Mirai had no mechanical breakdowns.
“Throughout months of testing, the car ran very smoothly with no issues at all,” says Patrick. “The fuel cell operated with 100% reliability. Even after driving 200,000 km, we didn’t notice any power loss at all.”

“This was also the case during a week when the outside temperature dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius: no start-up problems were reported. It was very hot when we drove through Munich in summer, but we could keep cool in the car with the air conditioning working without any problem.”
Throughout the 200,000km drive, the car didn’t need anything more than normal maintenance.

Cruising fun and comfort

“We had a good cruising feeling even in the mountains. ‘Fun’ and ‘comfort’ are the best words to describe it.”

“We were surprised by the car’s power. It was easy to manoeuvre even in curves, had responsive steering and smooth acceleration. The power was immediately available when we wanted it, for example to overtake or pull away from traffic lights.”

“The interior was enjoyable, too. The luxurious leather seats and steering wheel were a nice touch.  The cabin was spacious enough; even the tallest driver had plenty of legroom.”
“This is a rare case where I, as a project manager of a vehicle testing company, hear so much positive feedback from different drivers. They all have different driving styles from defensive to sporty. During this Mirai road test, they had to rigorously respect safety before anything else, as well as the predefined route and time. However, we didn’t ask them to change their usual driving style.”

Fill her up!

The drivers themselves were responsible for filling the car with hydrogen. “The process of filling up a hydrogen car is very similar to that of refuelling a conventional diesel or gasoline car. So, we received only minimal training which focused on ensuring safety.”

“Refuelling was a very easy and safe process. We recognised a major advantage of the Mirai over pure BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles): refuelling is faster. It takes just three minutes and was immediately ready to drive. ”

“We observed that the quality of service was very good in all the hydrogen stations where we stopped. They were all willing and quick to help us. We could feel that they were committed and happy to contribute to the introduction of the new energy which makes zero-emission mobility a reality. As drivers, we also appreciated being able to enjoy the same quality of driving experience as conventional cars while emitting only water.”

“If more and more hydrogen refuelling stations could be deployed, we wouldn’t see any reason why more customers would not pick the Mirai as their new car.”

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Toyota Mirai powers through 200,000km test on European roads

· One vehicle of the hydrogen fuel cell powered Toyota Mirai completed an extensive and demanding European road test with no mechanical breakdowns
· Drivers highlighted reliability, cruising fun and comfort as well as easy and fast refuelling process

Over an eight-month period spanning four seasons, the hydrogen fuel cell powered Toyota Mirai successfully completed an extensive and demanding road test in Germany, Italy, Austria and Norway. One same Mirai vehicle clocked up a total of 200,000km, a distance equivalent of 78 drives from Brussels to Moscow in eight months. Starting from Hamburg, the test road ran through a wide range of areas which represent Europe-specific driving conditions. These areas included cities, countryside and motorways including German autobahns with no speed limit. This road test taking place through four seasons, the Mirai was exposed to a wide spectrum of outside temperature with the coldest at minus 20 degrees Celsius and the highest at 37. Responsibility for the road test was given to KJ Tech Services GmbH of Darmstadt in Germany.

Patrick Hake, Project Manager says: “Not only the total distance was specified, but also the amount of time spent on different types of road.” “We therefore carefully worked out several routes in the areas which represent well the most typical road conditions in Europe. Then, we organised a team of fourteen drivers working in one or two shifts per day and six days a week, to ensure we completed the road test according to the exact specifications.”

16 hours a day for 250 days

The first phase of the test ran from September 2015 to February 2016, the second phase from May to November 2016. For 250 days, the Mirai was on the road for 16 hours per day. During its 200,000 kilometre journey, the car used around 2000kg of hydrogen. The tyres were changed five times mostly to switch between summer and winter tyres, the brake was replaced once and brake pads three times. The Mirai had no mechanical breakdowns. “Throughout months of test, the car ran very smoothly with no outage at all,” says Patrick. “The fuel cell operated with 100% reliability. Even after driving 200.000 km, we didn’t notice any power loss at all.” “This was also the case during a week when the outside temperature dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius: no start-up problems were reported. It was very hot when we drove through Munich in summer, but we could keep cool in the car with the air conditioning working without any problem.”

“Being powerful, the zero-emission vehicle had no difficulty to cope with slopes.” Throughout the 200,000km drive, the car didn’t need anything more than normal maintenance.

Cruising fun and comfort

“We had a good cruising feeling even on mountains. ‘Fun’ and ‘comfort’ are the best words to describe it.” “We were surprised by the car’s power. It was easy to manoeuvre even in curves, responsive steering and smooth in acceleration. The power was immediately available when we wanted it, for example to overtake or surge away from traffic lights.” “The interior was enjoyable, too. The luxurious leather seats and steering wheel were so nice. The cabin was spacious enough even for the tallest driver had plenty of legroom.” “This is a rare case where I, as a project manager of a vehicle testing company, heard so much positive feedback from different drivers. They all have different driving styles from defensive to sporty. During this Mirai road test, they had to rigorously respect safety before anything else, as well as the predefined route and time. However, we didn’t ask them to change their usual driving style.”

Fill her up!

The drivers themselves were responsible for filling the car with hydrogen. “The process of filling up a hydrogen car is very similar to that of refuelling a conventional diesel or gasoline car. So, we received minimal training which focussed on ensuring safety.” “Refuelling was a very easy and safe process. We recognised a major advantage of the Mirai over other electric vehicles: refuelling is faster. It takes just three minutes and was immediately ready to drive. An electric car has to be recharged overnight.” “We observed that the quality of service was very good in all the hydrogen stations where we stopped. They were all willing and quick to help us. We could feel that they were committed and happy to contribute to the introduction of the new energy which makes zero-emission mobility a reality. As drivers, we also appreciated being able to enjoy the same quality of driving experience as conventional cars while emitting only water.” “If more and more of hydrogen refueling stations could be deployed, we wouldn’t see any reason why more customers would not pick the Mirai as their new car.”

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Toyota employees offer a helping hand in Belgium

They all work at Toyota Motor Europe (TME), have good ideas & common goal – helping other people in need. Who are they? These are the dozens of volunteers engaged in their companies annual employee led corporate social responsibility activity – “Project Noel”.

During last four years they worked hand in hand with Belgium-based non-government organization Serve the City, who provide critical help to a vast amount of people in need throughout the country including displaced people, homeless, the elderly and vulnerable families living on the breadline.

They have achieved quite a lot during the last four years:

In 2013 they filled three Toyota Proace vans with food and clothing’s for the homeless and deprived in Belgium.

In 2014 they filled & delivered 250 boxes with toys, sweets, healthcare products, books & electrical equipment for children living in hostels in Brussels.

In 2015 they raised over 26,000 € by conducting various activities based on their ideas such as baking & selling cakes and organizing a giant Halloween party. Additionally TME donated a fully equipped brand new Toyota Proace van to Serve the City.

In 2016 Toyota got festive once again and initiated various lunchtime and weekend fun initiatives that included cake sales, raffles, yoga lessons and Christmas parties. In total they collected over 16 000 € in just 4 weeks. This money will enable Serve the City to purchase a mobile kitchen & serve more meals on the streets of Brussels. Additionally Toyota members filled 2 vans full of food and hygiene products that Serve the City have been using to care for homeless people throughout the harsh winter period.

Here are some of the unsung Toyota’s heroes and their stories …..

Kathryn Burgess – Parts Product Management, After Sales 

For the 2015 Serve the City event, I had decided to run a cake sale. However, looking around me, I realised that if I was going to make at least 500 euro I should sell cakes not just in my office but to the  entire After Sales building. In need of manpower, I engaged some of my work pals, including people who were already known for their kitchen skills of “Death by chocolate” and Tiramisu. I found myself with a group of 22 bakers.

Together, we shaped a simple idea into something more. We all turned into artistic bakers, marketers and treasurers. The whole event snowballed into a 1,800 euro cake selling bonanza for Serve the City and a team boosting event for all in After Sales.

A week later, I was in action again at a Saturday morning family photo shoot in our head office with the Toyota photography club “T-Click”. Our colleagues enjoyed receiving their professional family and pet portraits. People overflowed with generosity, not just with their cash but also with their time and goodwill. I was deeply touched and thought that this was a one-off and genuinely believed I would never do it again.

That was until December 2016, when I was encouraged to put the showback on the road. To cut a long story short, the 2015 bakers plus a few newcomers, re-assembled and added a new twist by adding an Aftersales raffle. By selling raffle tickets in head office, logistic centre in Diest and technical centre in Zaventem and selling cake in After Sales building, we raised just under 5000€ for Serve the City.

Have I learnt anything? Probably that alone you can accomplish many things but together you can accomplish more and make many friends along the way. Helping people less fortunate than we are is something I believe we should just do.

Elena Kim – Body Group, Research & Development Division

I joined Toyota in 2014 and the same year I started to participate in the TME charity project. As much as I am proud to work for Toyota, I am deeply proud of my colleague’s activities to help the local community.

In 2014 year we were preparing Christmas gifts for children in need and we wrapped about 50 boxes in technical centre and 200 boxes in our head office. Each box was personalised to a certain young person who had been identified by Serve the City, they contained toys, sweets, games and hygienic products. I was surprised to see the high response from TME employees towards the activity – people were bringing gifts every day, donating money and helping us to wrap the presents during their lunch times.

In 2015 I created many small activities in Technical Centre and as the result, the biggest attendance was during a home-made cake sale…. after all everybody likes cakes! J.

This year (2016) I hosted yoga classes at lunchtime and collected cash donations for the Project Noel. I was so happy to see that new people are participating in the project and hosting several events. I believe, the team spirit is built through such projects and great teamwork towards a common cause.

Paulina Januszewska – Quality Division

When we found out about Project Noel, as a photo club we wanted to contribute offering our time and photography skills in exchange for a financial donation to Serve the City. Within “T-Click”, TME photography club we organized a family photo-shoot at our reception, where families had their pictures taken, perfect to be used for Christmas cards etc. We had about 15 minutes per family and the last shoot involved getting a 95kg Saint Bernard dog to pose J. My colleague Dirk became a dog whisperer!

Due to its huge success and popularity we took up the same challenge this year and even extended our activities. There have been three projects organized by T-Click: family photo-shoot, business profile picture, which resulted in more than 150 members passed by to have their picture taken and a “Golden Ticket” raffle – the winning person will have a private photo-shoot with me in Leuven. This project connected us with the less fortunate people, to whom we could contribute, but also with our colleagues – we met their partners, kids and even their pets! This was also a great opportunity for us as photographers to gain some experience.

Dirk Christiaens – IT Division

T-Click received so many positive comments from all TME employees that we consider to organize the profile picture shoot as a service a few times per year. We appreciated the direct contact with Serve the City members and understand their organisation. This will drive our engagement for next year participation. And of course, I personally enjoyed being the DJ again for the second year at the Lexus charity party organized within the project.

 

 Navid Shahangian – Powertrain Research, Powertrain Division

I remember it was during November when I was thinking about how I can reach out people in need and do something for them. So when I saw the Project Noel article on our Intranet portal I said to myself “that’s what I am looking for”.

Initially I was thinking of baking cakes but I realized that many people are doing that already and probably are far superior bakers than me! I had an idea to host a piano concert in my apartment.

I shared the idea with my friends & family, everyone was excited and fully supported me. The next step was planning, practicing and preparing my apartment for the concert – including warning my neighbors! The concerts were planned for two evenings in December. I had less than weeks to practice twelve pieces before the first concert which was pretty tight considering the level of difficulty of chosen music and my busy working schedule. I even involved my local church who were so kind to provide me with chairs for my guests.

I was touched by so many people’s generosity and willingness to help others that they do not even know or would probably never meet. I am now encouraging my friends and family members to get involved in the local community in which they live to make this world an even better place for us all.

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Toyota Hybrid beats Tesla in ADAC EcoTest

Five stars for the Prius even under stricter test conditions

• CO₂ and pollutant emissions were also measured in real-world driving for the first time
• Prius Hybrid is also the most eco-friendly vehicle with combustion engine
• Four-star Toyota Yaris Hybrid ranked fifth, another clean and economical choice

Even in the new, stricter ADAC EcoTest 4.0, the current Toyota Prius achieved the top, five-star rating. Among the 45 vehicles tested so far, the hybrid is the most eco-friendly vehicle with a combustion engine, coming second with 94 of 100 possible points. The outstanding result is completed by the Toyota Yaris Hybrid on fifth place with 88 points and four stars. The Model S by Tesla follows on sixth with 87 points and also gets four stars.

In order to give consumers a clear orientation when choosing an economical car that is as green as possible, the 13^th round of the ADAC EcoTest introduced in 2003 included a fundamental innovation: for the first time, cars that had won a recommendation in the lab test had to submit to additional emissions measurements on the road (real driving emissions).

In the strictest ADAC EcoTest to date, the Toyota Prius 1.8 Hybrid Executive delivered convincingly low fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The measurements were 1.7 l urban, 3.9 l extra-urban and 5.4 l motorway, each over a distance of 100 km, CO₂ emissions of 113 g per km.

Source: https://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests/eco-test

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Wireless charging for xEV is on the way

Wireless charging for xEV – pronounced “ex-EV”and refers to pure electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in Hybrid (PHV) – is one of the hot areas of industry studies. The possibility to charge a vehicle without a cable would generate a number of advantages: automatic ‘hands-free’ charging, cable-free clean look of charging stations, and so on.

Would it ever be possible to charge a car’s battery without a cable?

“Yes, it is possible,” says Dr Ivo Teerlinck, an R&D expert of Toyota Europe. “Wireless charging of an electric vehicle or a plug-in Hybrid is not a dream.”

“Electricity is transmitted by magnetic induction between the transmitting coil on the ground and the receiving coil in the car.”

“This technology is a crucial step forward to cable-free electro mobility.”

However, car manufacturers can’t directly jump into commercialisation. “We first need to ensure customers’ peace of mind by establishing a globally harmonised standard for charging process and systems.”

“Without such a standard, customers of electro mobility will face the same frustration as with mobile phone chargers. Each time we buy a mobile phone we also have to buy a new charger, which may not be compatible with the next one we will buy in future either. In case of xEVs and their charging stations, the frustration would be much bigger.”

“Future customers of xEVs of any brand should be able to charge their vehicle easily anywhere. When buying and using an xEV, they should not bother about how to charge it.”

“For this purpose, all the charging systems around the world should be made in the same way and offer the same user experience. Car manufacturers, suppliers, standardisation bodies and governments must agree on one global standard.”

Toyota has been participating in the negotiations on the future standard. It is a huge challenge, but, there have been significant progresses lately.

Firstly, after five years of discussions between industry representatives within the official standardisation bodies’ framework (*), the very first version of technical guidelines has been agreed on this year which is called SAE TIR J2954.

“This is an important milestone, because the direction of the future standard has been narrowed down significantly, with some critical details frozen,” says Ivo. “It helps convince the standardisation community and governments that the industry is really starting to build a consensus. This is very positive.”

The target is to establish a globally harmonized standard in 2018. “It is a set of specifics which will determine how to make a wireless xEV charging system and how it works for customer. It will be based on technical options recognised by the industry and other stakeholders. It’s the ‘best way for everyone’”.

As a strategy for the next steps leading to  the standard, a group of car manufacturers (Audi, BMW ,Daimler and Toyota, suppliers (BOSCH, Continental, Qualcomm, and WiTricity) and academia set up a Project STILLE earlier this year. This unique project is part of the funding programme Elektro Power II which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The goal is to facilitate and support the further development of an interoperable global standard.

Reaching an agreement between manufacturers can be very difficult, with each of them trying to defend its own position on the grounds of its own data, technologies and interest at stake in their specific markets.

Project STILLE aims to create common data which all these members can unanimously support. .

Ivo says: “Usually, when the industry needs to reach an agreement, the standardisation body tries to facilitate it. The process typically starts by gathering data from each member manufacturer.”

“However, it is extremely difficult to reach agreement because each manufacturer tries to defend its own data.”

“STILLE’s approach is more strategic. Instead of gathering data, the STILLE members create common data together, starting from testing. All the member manufacturers know how the common data was made, so they can trust it. Such transparency makes it much easier to create one voice.”

“Hopefully, this approach will help smoothen the last stages of the discussions aimed at narrowing down from several options to the final specifications of the standard.”

*: SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), ISO (International Standardiation Organisation)

 

 

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