Toyota's First Solar powered Car.

by Paschen | January 2, 2009 at 06:43 pm

1696 views | 29 Recommendations | 10 comments

By, Uwe Paschen.

Toyotas First Solar Powered car

Toyota is in spite of a Global Recession and maybe soon to be Depression, as well as its first annual loss in 70 year still investing into environmental friendly technologies and plans to be the first to manufacture a Solar powered car.

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives/158389.asp

Through out its history Toyota has been a leader in Fuel-efficient cars and environment friendly solutions for the Auto industry. However, a High Yen and a drop in sales in the US have caused Toyota’s first loss in the past 70 years. Nevertheless, the Automaker still believes that the only future for the Auto industry is an environment friendly one.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/394496_toyotasolar02.html

Now, Toyota is not the only one that has been preaching Environment friendly cars for some time now, BMW and Volkswagen as well as Honda and Daimler-Benz are into it and BMW is even ahead of the competition. This has started some time ago already, since the 1970th to be exact, that was the first Oil crisis and the first International studies on the environment and the Human factor causing great stress on our eco system.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,448648,00.html

http://thoughtsonglobalwarming.blogspot.com/2007/09/mercedes-to-produce-hydrogen-fuel-cell.html

http://jalopnik.com/cars/news/honda-hydrogen-fcx-coming-in-2008-259716.php

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/02/08/036644.html

http://www.toyota.com/html/dyncon/2008/january/roadtrip.html

BMW is already selling Hydrogen Powered Cars since 2007 and VW has been selling Bio Diesel powered cars as well as Hydrogen fuel cell since 2008, Mercedes is planning to stop all Gasoline powered cars production by 2015 and focus only on Hydrogen fuel cells, Honda has launched its first Hydrogen Powered car for sale in 2008.

Toyota will be selling Hydrogen fuelled Cars as well by 2009 and yet it is still investing in solar powered car even though the Hydrogen fuelled cars seem to have taken over.

http://ecobatteries.co.nz/

The reason is actually simple, Toyota seems to hope and believe that we can and will soon have solved to problem of the highly toxic batteries and be able to build a battery that is Environmentally friendly, recyclable and non toxic at all.

http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/

The Nikkei, the Japanese business Journal is reporting that Toyota’s partner is about to take over Sanyo and Sanyo is the leader in world wide in Batteries and especially battery research and development and there are about ready to solve the Toxic battery problem.

There for hold off buying that new car, the way to go seems to be Hydrogen and Solar Power. Now Hydrogen cars can be bought already today, solar power may still take a couple of year though.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

gerrypopplestone

at 19:27 on January 2nd, 2009

But I thought hydrogen is dangerous? We have a long way to go yet! I dont know how many are buying these cars. The pity is they still dont have the macho imaghe that many people want!

Paschen

at 03:33 on January 3rd, 2009

The main fear of Hydrogen was the memory of the Hindenburg that blow up over New York in the 30s. Hydrogen fuel is no more a danger then Propane or Gasoline fuel, being both highly explosive. However, Hydrogen Fuel is bulk for bulk the most efficient fuel of all and gives the best energy conversion as well. The production needs sun shine and water, why the new plant build by Germany are in Algeria and Libya that produce the Hydrogen through electrolyse with solar energy and using sea water, splitting the H2O molecule into two Hydrogen Atoms and one Oxygen atom. Once it burns in the engine, it the Hydrogen binds again with the Oxygen and gives us water in form of steam being released through the exhaust pipe. Perfect environmental friendly fuel.

Thank you for the read, Comment and R here Gerry, I do appreciate it.

SOLARLIFE

at 00:37 on January 3rd, 2009

Car Companies make no profit, tell us the wildest stories to stay in the finance market. Toyotas announcement over Blogosphere of a solar car, I found no meat behind. The yellow Bio-diesel Landcruiser you show yes, a possibility. The first Solar-roof-top car in small quantities is the Eclectic from Venturi in Monte Carlo. The elctric car has also a small wind turbine to plug-in. Actually a rough calculation. The car roof produces maximum 300 - 500 Watt, would drive a chinese 36V electric scooter for 25km/h but no car. The roof is for standby charging during parking more.

I was testdriving the "Solar Eclectic" a lot of Fun, max city speed 50kmh, range 50 km. The other version you mention the Hydrogen cars are more promising. 2002 I did a testride Monaco (mountains up and down lik in LA) on the German engineered GM Opel Zafira Hydrogen Fuel cell car (without battery). Amazing, you start, no noise just the Hydrogen pumps, speed 140km/h, range 400km. The price tag $2 million at this time, so every Ferrari looks a liitle bit old when you drive by the casino. The BMW Hydrogen 7 a 12 cylinder combustion engine for california, first 100 on the way.

The old question is Hydrogen dangerous ? Yes and no. California tested standard Fuel cars driving through a firewall they started to burn. The Hydrogen cars well protected did not burn. For sure we will have some accidents like with all new technologies.

Last word for all Diesel for ever lovers. Still greatest PPM polluter. To produce Diesel you need Hydrogen, so it would be more intelligent to turn to Hydrogen directly.

For all Hy-Tech freaks have a look to the Hdrogen Fuel cell and PV expo Japan. I met Mr. Yamamoto / METI Hydrogen japan promotion office, he convinced me Japan is serious about Hydrogen and fuel cells (see report)

Good awareness aticle Paschen to get us into the new year.

Paschen

at 03:22 on January 3rd, 2009

If you read the whole article you will find that Toyota is planning this based on the condition that a solution may be fund and eminent to the battery problem. Further those Solar cars will be city cars and since Japan has for the most part 600cc or less as engines it is a possible alternative. BMW has on the market a car that can run on both Hydrogen as well as Gasoline, making it a perfect transition vehicle. If you read the Nikkei Journal you will find that Toyota is taking over SANYO with the intention to be the first to put a solar powered car on the market. Thank you for the comment here SOLARLIFE as well as for the read and R, I do appreciate it.

Amitjha

at 02:43 on January 3rd, 2009

Is it economically feasible, particularly when the prices of crude is going down?

Paschen

at 03:16 on January 3rd, 2009

Yes it is, since Pollution will cost a lot more to fix and relate health care cost will only rise with more air and water polluted. Further the Oil price will most likely go up again as it always did so far after a short down fall and moreover we wont have oil for ever. It is grand time to get ready to make the changes needed.

at 03:51 on January 3rd, 2009

Good stuff!

sara star

at 17:49 on January 3rd, 2009

I hope more altenative energy cars will be made. This actually would help keep oil prices down, because if it goes up again, people will easily switch to these cars.... and oil companies will lose profit.

It was a mistake for oil to have gone up so much so fast because now that alternative energy cars have started to snowball, there is no stopping it.

I am glad for the mistake, since it is better for the environment.

manicfinance

at 15:42 on January 4th, 2009

Great article. Solar technology is ramping up its efficiency with dramatic leaps and bounds. I think the real obstacle that has to be overcome is the "storage" technology for charging up and storing the energy so that it can be efficiently used over longer periods of time. In Quebec, there is a battery powered vehicle called the ZENN. But the logistics of charging are a hassle. But they own a part of a revolutionary storage tech called EESTOR which can charge up a vehicle within minutes. If EESTOR is validated as a reliable technology, look out!

Rearviewed (not verified)

at 15:18 on January 9th, 2009

If only the sun doesn't go down, solar powered-cars would definitely made a very big impact than any alternative power source since it's the most convenient & affordable.