Toyota isn't afraid to try new things. It made hybrid cars popular with the Prius, it sold the first commercial hydrogen car with the Mirai, and it's now working with the Japanese space agency (JAXA) to put the first proper car on the Moon one that you won't need to wear a spacesuit to drive. So it feels odd that it's taken so long for the company to launch its first electric car, the BZ4X.
What's was the hold-up? Well, from the outside looking in, it seems Toyota was hoping that motorists would back hydrogen power. It's clear to see why: with a hydrogen fuel cell there's no range anxiety and you refill your tank in largely the same way you do now. Unfortunately, the infrastructure (the refuelling stations) didn't arrive in time to match Toyota's ambitions.
The BZ4X isn't Toyota throwing in the towel on hydrogen; it's bridging the gap until hydrogen becomes a more viable option in the future - we think. So is Toyota's pioneering spirit alive and well in its first battery power-only car?
This story is from the August 2022 edition of BBC Science Focus.
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This story is from the August 2022 edition of BBC Science Focus.
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