Toyota boosts range of fuel cell hybrid

Japan's Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM) said it has developed a new fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle that can travel more than twice the distance of the previous model without filling up.

The automaker said the improved FCHV-adv model has a maximum cruising range of 516 miles, up from 205 miles for the previous fuel cell model.

Toyota said the FCHV-adv has received certification from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and would be available for leasing in the country later this year.

The car company did not disclose any pricing details for the new vehicle.

Toyota said fuel efficiency was raised by 25 percent through improving fuel cell unit performance, enhancing the regenerative brake system and reducing energy consumed by the auxiliary system.

The company said further changes to its fuel cell stack include incorporating degradation control for the electrode catalyst and improving fuel cell durability.

"The building block of the Toyota FC Stack is the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA), where engineers focused on the basic problem of internally produced water interfering with electrical generation within the MEA at low temperatures," said the company.

Toyota said it conducted cold-weather tests in Timmins, Canada, and that the new vehicle can start and operate in cold regions at temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius.

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