Toyota is using hydrogen fuel cells to power everything from regular passenger cars to lunar rovers, but it doesn't stop there. The Japanese automaker is testing the use of fuel cells to power one of its factories. An experimental fuel cell "generator" built using parts from the Toyota Mirai sedan is installed at the Honda plant at the automaker's main campus in Toyota City, Japan. The test shows how fuel cells can provide zero-emission electricity for buildings as well as vehicles.
Toyota says the generator uses two complete Mirai fuel cell systems. Each system includes a fuel cell stack (the part that actually converts hydrogen into electricity), a power control unit and a backup battery. Using components from the Mirai, rather than developing new ones from scratch, helps keep costs down, Toyota said.
Toyota plans to operate fuel cell generators 24 hours a day to generate electricity at its factories. Toyota will monitor the efficiency of the generator (the amount of electricity produced by a given amount of hydrogen), the generator's ability to provide electricity continuously, as well as its durability and ease of maintenance. Assuming the tests go well, Toyota hopes to add fuel cell power to other plants.
The automaker even plans to produce hydrogen on-site at its factories. Toyota believes hydrogen can still be produced as a by-product of fuel cell system components, although it's unclear how. Finding a way to produce large amounts of hydrogen in an environmentally friendly way remains one of the main hurdles for fuel cells. Another major problem with fuel cell vehicles is the current lack of hydrogen refueling stations.
Despite its problems, Toyota remains an evangelist for fuel cells. The Toyota Mirai is one of the few fuel cell vehicles offered to customers. Toyota is also testing a fuel cell semi-truck in California, plans to deploy a fuel cell bus at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and is working with JAXA (Japan Space Agency) to develop a fuel cell lunar rover. The automaker's enthusiasm for fuel cells is shared with the Japanese government. As Japan looks for alternatives to nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed a "hydrogen society" in which fuel cells can power vehicles and buildings.
However, the issue of getting enough hydrogen led Toyota to hedge its bets. The automaker is now developing a battery electric vehicle that promises to use a revolutionary solid-state battery. Notably, batteries can also be used to power buildings. In addition to building cars, Tesla also sells stationary battery packs that store renewable energy, such as solar panels.