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Daimler & Toyota team up on fuel-cell technology

By Alborz Fallah |

If anyone was taking bets, not many would’ve put their money on the likelihood of a Toyota and Daimler partnership, nonetheless a report in the Financial Times Deutschland suggest the two companies will join forces to fast-track fuel-cell technology development.

Daimler, owners of Mercedes-Benz and Toyota have both been working separately on numerous future-fuel technologies with hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles seen as the pinnacle in green-motoring. Hydrogen cars emit only water vapours but are currently expensive to produce given the high amounts of pricey metals required for the fuel-cells that power them.

Hydrogen vehicles will also be capable of travelling longer distances on a single “tank” than current electric vehicles.

So far Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, Ford and Toyota have all agreed to work together on fuel-cell technologies when possible. The first generation of mass-produced hydrogen powered vehicles is expected by around 2015.

Hydrogen cars are not a new idea, Daimler has already spent an estimated U.S. $1.23 billion ($1.5 billion) on hydrogen related projects since 1994 whilst Toyota has been on the case since 1992.

It seems that every day now we are covering a development which involves either electric, hybrid, or hydrogen powered vehicles. The future of motoring is sure to change in the not so distant future.


 
  • TK

    If Toyota is lucky ,MB might even give them some tips on designing good looking cars—just a thought.

    • freddo

      Toyota could give MB a tip on making cars that dont fall apart on aus roads under 50000klm

  • AAA

    If Toyota is lucky ,MB might even give them some tips on designing a 225KW 3.5L V6

    • Deco

      Toyota already has an engine like that.

    • yowza

      yup.. and its one of the best rated engines in the states.

      the Aurion also has 200kW from their V6, can actually be higher if tuned at factory.. but fuel economy worsens.

      the Tundra V8 also supercharged is also a pretty darn good engine… Tundra TRD does 0-100 in 5-6 seconds…

      the Lexus IS350 has 221 kW on its V6….

      • TK

        The TRD engines was factory tuned here in the aurion and hilux,but guess what due to unreliability they are discontinued.So better get the tips from MB to get good engines.

  • Shak

    The best thing would be for all manufacturers who want Hydrogen in their cars to work ogether. That way costs come down, and then governments will be forced to subsidise the infrastructure as so many Hydrogen cars will need somehwere to refuel.

    • D

      Trouble is if everybody works together there would be no competition and everybody knows what that would result in.

  • john

    Yep i agree, get them all to share the information around and lets get the show on the road.