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Bibendum 2014: Former EU President says Toyota could lose 100,000 euros per hydrogen FCV sedan

Pat Cox does not work for Toyota and we don't think he has any secret inside information. Still, he's the former President of the European Parliament and the current high level coordinator for TransEuropean Network, so when he says Toyota is likely going to lose between 50,000 and 100,000 euros ($66,000 and $133,000) on each of the hydrogen-powered FCV sedans it will sell next year, it's worth noting. That was just one highlight of Cox's presentation at the 2014 Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Chengdu, China today, which addressed the main problem of using more H2 in transportation: cost. The EU has a tremendous incentive to find an alternative to fossil fuels, since Europe today is 94 percent dependent on oil for its transportation sector and 84 percent of that 94 percent dependency is imported oil. The tab for that costs the EU a billion euros a day, Cox said, on top of the environmental costs. To encourage a shift away from petroleum, European Directive 2014/94 requires each member state to develop national policy frameworks for the market development of alternative fuels and their infrastructure. For the member states that choose to fulfill 2014/94 by developing a hydrogen market – and to be clear, Cox said, it's not an EU diktat that they do so, since a number of other alternatives are also allowed – the aim is to have things in place by the end of 2025. The plans don't even have to be submitted until the end of 2016. The long lead time is due to a quirk in a hydrogen economy. In hydrogen infrastructure, "the first-mover cost is not the first-mover advantage, but the firstmover disadvantage." – Pat Cox In deploying a hydrogen infrastructure, Cox said, "the first-mover cost is not the first-mover advantage, but the first-mover disadvantage, and high risk." That's why the EU and member states will financially support the early stages, but everyone agrees that "if this is to work, it will have to be ultimately and essentially a commercially viable and commercially driven infrastructure roll-out." Since 1986, European Union research programs have spent 550 million euros on hydrogen-related and fuel-cell-related research, including methods of hydrogen storage and distribution as well as improved fuel cells vehicles, Cox said. Expensive problems remain to be solved. At a conference in Berlin, Germany this past summer, Cox said, the unit cost of the refueling stations was identified as the main problem.

Toyota's new turbodiesel engines are stronger, lighter, cleaner [w/video]

Think about turbodiesels and trucks, and companies like General Motors and Dodge/Ram might spring to mind. Toyota? Not so much. Hybrids are its thing. Still, the Japanese automaker is looking to alter that image a bit, at least overseas. Toyota is touting its new line of turbodiesel mills that went into the HiLux pickups that started being sold in Thailand and Australia last month, and in the Land Cruiser Prado that debuted in Japan last week. Toyota's breaking out fancy terms like "Thermo Swing Wall Insulation Technology" (TSWIN) and "Selective Catalytic Reduction" (SCR), but the upshot is that the engines boost torque up 25 percent, and, more importantly, fuel efficiency by 15 percent. Additionally, the engine's configuration can cut as much as 99 percent of NOx (nitrogen oxide) emissions. Asia's new version of the HiLux offers two turbodiesels: a 2.4-liter version with 164 horsepower, and a 2.8-liter mill with 174 hp. Toyota says that by the end of next year, it'll be able to make 700,000 of the engines a year and will make them available in 90 global markets. Scroll down to check out Toyota's 90-second explanatory video, and get more details from the official press release. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Toyota's Revamped Turbo Diesel Engines Offer More Torque, Greater Efficiency and Lower Emissions New engines feature next-generation advanced thermal insulation diesel combustion1 World-first2 use of Thermo Swing Wall Insulation Technology (TSWIN3) Top-class maximum thermal efficiency of 44 percent4 15 percent more fuel efficient; 25 percent more maximum torque Eliminates up to 99 percent of NOx emissions Production of 700,000 units a year; available in approx. 90 markets by the end of 20165 Toyota's newly developed direct-injection turbo diesel engines raise the bar for fuel efficiency, power and quietness. The world's first use of Thermo Swing Wall Insulation Technology (TSWIN) makes the 2.8-liter 1GD-FTV engine one of the most thermally efficient in existence, with a maximum thermal efficiency of 44 percent. Despite smaller engine displacement in comparison to the current KD engine, maximum torque is improved by 25 percent and low speed torque improved by 11 percent, while fuel efficiency has received a 15 percent boost.

Toyota's Lentz says fuel cells are the future, not EVs

Toyota is not bullish on EVs. That comes from the company's North American CEO, Jim Lentz, who said the company will focus not on electrification, but on continued hybridization with a long-term focus on hydrogen fuel cells.
Lentz questioned the long-range ability of EVs, saying that Toyota feels "there are better alternatives, such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids, and tomorrow with fuel cells." Lentz spoke about Toyota's focus on hydrogen following Forbes Brainstorm Green conference and barely a week after a battery deal between Tesla and Toyota ended, according to Automotive News.
That deal provided for 2,500 battery packs for the Rav4 EV. While valuable to Toyota, the deal "was never about open-ended volume," Lentz said. "It was time to either continue or stop. My personal feeling was that I would rather invest my dollars in fuel cell development than in another 2,500 EVs."