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HyFive hydrogen infrastructure gets $51M boost across Europe

"High five!" was one of the catch-phrases of Sacha Baron Cohen's Kazakh comedic alter ego Borat. A real-world HyFive is being announced by a power broker named Boris. And this is serious business. London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced a program called HyFive, which will see automakers and other entities invest 31 million British pounds ($51 million US) in a demonstration project for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. By next year, London will have three hydrogen refueling stations, while there will be one each in the Danish cities of Aarhus and Odense and one in Innsbruck, Austria. Leaders of the program are planning for other stations in Sweden, Germany and Italy. The five participating automakers are BMW, Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota, while other companies involved include Copenhagen Hydrogen Network, ITM Power and Linde. Those OEMs will make 110 fuel-cell vehicles available for deployment in Bolzano, Copenhagen, Innsbruck, London, Munich and Stuttgart. The program represents an effort to address the "chicken or egg?" challenge inherent to establishing a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle market. While the powertrain technology provides benefits by combining fossil-fuel-like refueling times with long driving ranges and zero emissions, establishing a refueling network and building fuel-cell vehicles is prohibitively expensive, especially in low volumes. The London mayor is no stranger to green transportation technology. Late last year, Johnson made himself available for a photo opportunity with Ecotive and Frazer-Nash, which had developed a six-passenger extended-range plug-in taxicab. The mayor got a test drive in the cabs this week. You can check out the HyFive press release below. Global leaders sign up to GBP31m plan to demonstrate viability of hydrogen vehicles International project HyFive pioneers hydrogen fuel cell technology A pioneering GBP31 million deal will be struck today (3 April) to make hydrogen vehicles a viable and environmentally friendly choice for motorists across Europe. Leading motor manufacturers, hydrogen fuel suppliers, the Mayor of London's Office and energy consultancies from around the globe are signing up to the HyFive project, the largest of its kind in Europe, at City Hall in London today.

Recharge Wrap-up: Senators want stronger RFS, Toyota working to improve mobility in Bangkok

A new E15 bill has been introduced to the US House of Representatives. Sponsored by one Democrat and three Republican congressmen, the bill is a companion to the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2015 recently introduced to the Senate by Rand Paul and Chuck Grassley. The House bill's goal is similar: to remove certain restrictions to help get E15 to the marketplace. This bill also targets the EPA and its rules regarding the Reid Vapor Pressure of the ethanol blend. Read more in from Domestic Fuel. A bipartisan group of 37 senators is urging the EPA to strengthen the Renewable Fuel Standard. Stated reasons tend to focus on economics and energy security, but also on the future of other alternative fuels. The RFS "has strengthened agriculture markets and created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the new energy economy, many of which are in rural areas," the senators say in a letter to the EPA. "A stable RFS will also provide the certainty needed to unlock future investments in renewable fuels and necessary infrastructure, reduce our nation's dependence on foreign sources of energy, and drive innovation and progress toward cellulosic, biodiesel, recycled-waste, algal, and other advanced biofuels." See the full letter at Senator Chuck Grassley's website, and read more at Domestic Fuel. The Toyota Mobility Foundation has launched a pilot program in Bangkok, Thailand. In partnership with Chulalongkorn University, Toyota's program aims to help "people move, grow and explore in a world that is comfortable, safe and clean," says Toyota President Akio Toyoda (traditional rickshaws are pictured above). The program will focus on reducing congestion by creating sustainable shuttle and park and ride services, encouraging people to use multiple modes of transportation, use traffic simulation models to pinpoint particular problem areas and work with police to optimize traffic signals. The Bangkok project is expected to last a year and a half, ending in December 2016. Read more in the press release below. Realizing the Future of Mobility: Toyota Mobility Foundation Launches First Pilot Program in Thailand Program Supports Foundation's Global Mission to Advance Solutions for a More Mobile Society Tokyo, Japan (April 22, 2015) - More people everywhere are about to get moving. Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) today announced that it is launching its first pilot program.

New Toyota Supra may get a twin-turbo Lexus V6

We've heard endless rumors that a successor to the much loved and much missed Toyota Supra is in the works. Toyota hasn't done much to deny these conversations. On the contrary, the FT-1 concept from two years ago and the partnership with BMW have only fueled the fire. Now, talk of a new Lexus engine has led to speculation about the supposed Supra's powertrain. To be clear, this is mostly heresay. Few things have actually been confirmed, but based on what we know a few conclusions can be drawn. We know that BMW and Toyota are working on a joint product. We've seen mules testing out in the wild. In BMW guise, the possibly Austrian-built car will more than likely powered by turbocharged inline four and six-cylinder engines. Unless Toyota wants to use Bimmer power, they'll need to shoehorn one of their own under the hood. That leads us to this rumor of a twin-turbocharged V6 that will presumably power the new Lexus GS and LS. Japanese automotive publication Mag-X first reported on this engine. It was then picked up by YouWheel and Car Keys. Mag-X cites Toyota insiders and even gives an engine code, 943F. This engine allegedly will make more than 400 horsepower and more than 300 lb-ft of torque. While unconfirmed, this makes sense for Lexus. Nearly every luxury competitor has a six-cylinder engine with forced induction. While Toyota has previously had turbocharged inline-sixes, they've never produced a factory turbo V6. Every automaker is downsizing engines in an effort to meet fuel economy and emissions regulations. Toyota and Lexus will follow suit. Taking that V6 and tuning it for a performance application is a solid, if unverified, possibility. Related Video: