Hydrogen Powered Cars: The Wave of the Future?by Joshua D. Hartman and Jack F. Eichler

Department of ChemistryUniversity of California-Riverside

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“Toyota Shows Off Fuel-Cell Automobile”

By Eric PfannerPublished: November 20, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/21/business/international/toyota-unveils-fuel-cell-concept-automobile.html

TOKYO — Hydrogen-powered cars are finally being readied for their Prius moment. At least, that is what promoters of the environmentally friendly technology hope. Toyota, maker of the Prius, the first hybrid vehicle to achieve mass-market acceptance, on Wednesday unveiled a concept version of a hydrogen fuel-cell car that it plans to begin selling “around 2015,” as the company put it. The bright blue sedan is shaped like a drop of water to emphasize that water is the only substance that hydrogen-powered cars emit from their tailpipes.

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Fuel-cell cars, which create the electricity that powers them by combining hydrogen with the oxygen in the atmosphere, have been held back by a variety of factors, including the high cost and a dearth of hydrogen filling stations. Although a handful of fuel-cell test cars and fleet vehicles are on the road, the new models from Honda, Hyundai and Toyota are expected to be among the first hydrogen-powered cars available to the public.

“Everybody has been putting their toe in the water, but Toyota putting its toe in the water is a bit more significant,” Mr. Baum said. Toyota, while embracing hybrid powertrains, has favored fuel-cell technology over fully electric cars, saying the experience of driving them is more like what consumers are used to with gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles. The company says its new car will be able to cover about 500 kilometers, or 310 miles, on a single hydrogen fill-up that takes just a few minutes. Fully electric vehicles require lengthy recharging time.

1. What are the potential issues and major topics in this scenario that we as chemists/scientists can address?

Analysis

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2. Compile a list for each category:

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3. Rank the importance of the questions in the “What do I need to know” column.

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What do I know? What do I need to know?