Daihatsu To Test Fuel Cell Mini Vehicle In Japan - Daihatsu Motor Company Ltd - Brief Article

Autoparts Report, Jan 17, 2003

Daihatsu Motor Co. said it has received authorization from Japan's transport ministry to test its fuel cell- powered hybrid mini-vehicle on public roads, Kyodo News reported. This is the first time approval had been granted to test a mini-vehicle equipped with fuel cells, Daihatsu officials said, according to Kyodo.

Daihatsu plans to test its MOVE FCV-K-2 on public roads in a few days to gather data, with the aim of putting the vehicle on the market as soon as possible, the officials said. Equipped with a high-pressure hydrogen storage tank and a nickel metal hydride battery, the MOVE is said to be more fuel efficient than conventional minivehicles.

The vehicle's motor is powered by electricity generated from fuel cells, and the battery is charged each time the brakes are applied. It can travel around 75 miles on one filling of hydrogen, with a maximum speed is around 65 miles per hour. Daihatsu started joint development of the fuel-cell mini-vehicle with Toyota Motor Corp. in 1999.