Dear MEL School’s
Topic Readers,
Toyota names price
for new fuel cell car
What’s Fuel Cell
Vehicle (FCV) or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV)? It is a type of automobile that
uses a fuel cell to power its electric motor to drive instead of a conventional
engine that burns fossil fuel burning to drive.
OK, what’s fuel
cell then? A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity by a chemical
reaction. They generate electricity with very little pollution because much of
the hydrogen and oxygen used in generating electricity ultimately combine to
form just water.
That sounds
exciting but why it hasn’t been on the market? There are two main reasons. One
is the price. Though the price tag announced by the world biggest auto
manufacturer is lower than expected, it is still four times as expensive as the
one of most popular hybrid vehicle before government subsidies or incentive. The
other is the fuel station that provides hydrogen. Existing gas stations can’t
simply put hydrogen into their tanks and it requires substantial investment to
build a new station or convert an existing one. It’s like a chicken or egg kind
of dilemma, which came first?
Enjoy reading and
learning about what the fuel cell vehicle could mean or affect the future.
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