无处不在_电动汽车无处不在。 那丰田为什么还要继续投资氢呢？

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Tesla has single-handedly changed the future of cars, forcing the more traditional automakers to play catchup. Electric vehicles are now the mainstay of every automaker’s lineup. Even doubters like General Motors and Volkswagen (VW) are fast building their electric vehicle (EV).

牛逼 ESLA曾一手改变汽车的未来 ，迫使更多传统的汽车制造商扮演追赶。 如今，电动汽车是每家汽车制造商阵容的Struts。 甚至通用汽车 ( General Motors)和大众汽车(Volkswagen(VW ))之类的质疑者也正在Swift建造电动汽车(EV)。

But, one company is still digging its heels. The Japanese giant Toyota is not putting all its eggs on EVs. While they do plan to launch electric vehicles, they continue to bet strongly on fuel cells.

但是，一家公司仍在努力。 日本巨头丰田(Toyot a)并未全力以赴。 尽管他们确实计划推出电动汽车，但他们继续强烈地押注燃料电池。

Why? Hasn’t the fuel cell tech lost the auto wars?

为什么？ 燃料电池技术不是输掉了汽车大战吗？

燃料电池技术使用氢气 (The fuel cell tech uses hydrogen)

On paper, fuel cell technology is the perfect clean energy solution to fight climate change. Hydrogen in a liquefied form is passed through a fuel cell that produces energy to run a vehicle. Water is the by-product. Hydrogen packs more energy per unit mass than any other form of fuel.

从表面上看，燃料电池技术是应对气候变化的完美清洁能源解决方案。 液化氢通过燃料电池产生能量以使车辆行驶。 水是副产品。 氢气每单位质量所包装的能量比任何其他形式的燃料都要多。

While gasoline packs 46 MJ per kg of the fuel, hydrogen packs 120 MJ per kg, ~2.5 times more. So in an ideal world, less hydrogen would be needed to run the same vehicle than fossil fuels. Only a few fuel cells would be needed, keeping the vehicle light, unlike heavy batteries. The other advantage is refueling is quick much like regular gas.

汽油每公斤燃料可包装46 MJ汽油，氢气每公斤可包装120 MJ汽油，约为2.5倍 。 因此，在理想的世界中，与矿物燃料相比，运行同一辆汽车所需的氢气更少。 与笨重的电池不同，只需要几个燃料电池，即可保持车辆轻便。 另一个优点是加油非常快，就像普通汽油一样。

“Fuel cells, which use clean power-generation methods, emit only water, and, because of their high energy density, can provide a lot of energy” Shigeki Terashi, Toyota Executive Vice President

“使用清洁发电方法的燃料电池仅排放水，并且由于其高能量密度，可以提供大量能量。” 丰田执行副总裁茂树茂树(Shigeki Terashi)

为什么氢燃料电池的采用率仍然很低？ (Why hydrogen fuel cell adoption is still low?)

Hydrogen revolution was promised more than a decade ago by Gov. Schwarzenegger in California. It did not happen. Hydrogen tech is plagued by both the demand and supply problem. The supply chain is not robust. There aren’t enough refueling stations and some are often closed for maintenance. There are also interruptions at the sources of hydrogen as well. Hydrogen is currently sourced at fossil fuel-run plants where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen.

十多年前，加利福尼亚州州长施瓦辛格承诺进行氢革命。 它没有发生。 氢技术受到需求和供应问题的困扰。 供应链不健全。 没有足够的加油站，有些经常关闭以进行维护。 氢源也有中断。 氢目前来自化石燃料厂，那里的水被分解成氢和氧 。

The other big problem is the cost. Fuel cell tech is still pricey. Current hydrogen prices hover around $16 per gallon. One reason is that fuel cells use Platinum alloy as a catalyst. Platinum is costly. Research is on to reduce the amount of Platinum used or even drop it to cut down the costs.

另一个大问题是成本。 燃料电池技术仍然昂贵。 目前的氢气价格徘徊在每加仑16美元左右 。 原因之一是燃料电池使用铂合金作为催化剂。 铂金价格昂贵。 正在进行研究以减少铂金的使用量，甚至减少铂金的使用量以降低成本。

“Widespread, sustainable commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicles requires either a dramatic reduction in the amount of platinum required or the replacement of platinum catalysts with those made of earth-abundant, inexpensive materials like iron.” Deborah Myers, Senior Chemist at Argonne National Laboratory.

“燃料电池电动汽车的广泛，可持续的商业化需要大幅减少所需的铂数量，或者用富含铁的廉价材料(如铁)制成的铂催化剂来代替铂催化剂。” Argonne国家实验室的高级化学家Deborah Myers。

The storage of the gas adds to the cost. The gas while energy-dense by mass is not so dense by volume. Keeping it in tanks in a liquid state requires cooling. All this adds to the cost of the fuel. Each refueling, therefore, costs more than gasoline and significantly more than electricity. This makes hydrogen-based cars more like a white elephant, expensive to purchase and costly to maintain. Therefore, it makes little sense to buy a hydrogen-powered car.

气体的储存增加了成本。 能量密集的气体的体积并不那么稠密。 将其保持在液体罐中需要冷却。 所有这些增加了燃料的成本。 因此，每次加油的成本都比汽油高，并且比电费高得多。 这使得氢基汽车更像是大白象，购买价格昂贵且维护成本高。 因此，购买氢动力汽车毫无意义。

那丰田为什么还要支持呢？ (Then why is Toyota still backing it?)

Toyota has been an early backer of fuel cells. But, the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai received a tepid response. This may be due to the $50,000 plus sticker price or the lack of refueling stations.

丰田一直是燃料电池的早期支持者。 但是， 氢气驱动的丰田Mirai收到了冷淡的回应 。 这可能是因为50,000美元加上标价或缺少加油站。

One would think that the commercial failure of Mirai would put Toyota’s hydrogen plans on hold. But, they intend to keep producing the cars, perhaps with slight updates. As reported by the LA Times, Toyota doesn’t want to put all eggs in one basket for the future of automobiles. They will invest in EVs but keep Mirai running in case hydrogen gets big. The other is Toyota has other ideas for a hydrogen fuel cell that goes beyond cars. Mirai is just the public face for hydrogen.

有人会认为，未来的商业失败将使丰田的氢计划搁置。 但是，他们打算继续生产汽车，也许会稍作更新。 据《 洛杉矶时报》报道 ，丰田不想将所有鸡蛋都放在一个篮子里，以备未来汽车使用。 他们将投资于电动汽车，但要保持Mirai运转，以防氢气变大。 另一个是丰田对超越汽车的氢燃料电池还有其他想法。 Mirai只是氢的公众面Kong。

“Toyota won’t be putting all our eggs in one technology basket,” Doug Murtha, Toyota’s U.S. group Vice President for corporate strategy and planning

丰田美国公司集团战略与计划副总裁道格·穆莎(Doug Murtha) “丰田不会把我们所有的精力都放在一个技术篮子里”

Hydrogen may be a better fuel for heavy-duty vehicles. Trucks, buses, and forklifts need more power. The current battery tech involves heavy lithium-ion batteries. Powering heavy-duty vehicles with many batteries would add significant weight to these vehicles. A hydrogen fuel cell can be an easier replacement. It would keep the vehicle light.

氢气可能是重型车辆的更好燃料。 卡车，公共汽车和叉车需要更多动力。 当前的电池技术涉及重型锂离子电池。 用许多电池为重型车辆供电会大大增加这些车辆的重量。 氢燃料电池可以更容易地替换。 它将保持车辆轻便。

For commercial vehicles like forklifts and trucks, time wasted in charging equates money. Rapid refueling is efficient and saves costs. Hydrogen-powered vehicles can have a longer driving range than other fuels. Hydrogen-powered trucks are expected to have 500–750 miles range.

对于叉车和卡车等商用车，浪费时间在充电上等于钱。 快速加油是有效的并节省了成本。 氢动力汽车的行驶里程比其他燃料更长。 氢动力卡车有望行驶500-750英里 。

Perhaps, this is why even startups like Nikola are betting on hydrogen-based trucks. Hydrogen-powered buses are already plying in various cities. In fact, Toyota is building 100 fuel cell-powered buses for the now postponed Tokyo Olympics. Toyota has tied up with five Chinese firms to develop fuel cells for commercial vehicles in a bid to cut down prices.

也许，这就是为什么即使是像Nikola这样的初创公司也都赌氢制卡车的原因。 氢动力公交车已经在各个城市流行。 实际上，丰田公司正在为现在推迟的东京奥运会建造100辆燃料电池驱动的公共汽车 。 为了降低价格，丰田已与五家中国公司联合开发用于商用车的燃料电池 。

建立供应链 (Building the supply chain)

Toyota is helping develop a “cow to car” fuel supply model in California. This innovative idea solves two problems if it works. It promises clean hydrogen and robust supply. Cows produce methane, a prominent greenhouse gas through belches, farts, and poop. But, methane is also a source of hydrogen.

丰田汽车正在加利福尼亚州帮助开发“牛到汽车”燃料供应模型。 这个创新的想法可以解决两个问题。 它保证清洁氢气和稳定的供应。 牛通过，放屁和粪便产生甲烷，这是一种重要的温室气体。 但是，甲烷也是氢的来源。

The plan is to use anaerobic digester on farms to turn animal waste into methane. This methane can be collected and run through a fuel cell to produce hydrogen and electricity. Collecting the methane won’t even need an additional pipeline. It can be fed into the existing natural gas pipes. The hydrogen would be pumped to the filling stations while electricity can be fed into the grid. The plant though has run into delays. Another plant is coming up to convert waste paper to hydrogen. While this infrastructure would take time to develop, it can potentially provide regular hydrogen supply once set up.

该计划是在农场上使用厌氧消化池将动物粪便转化为甲烷。 可以收集这种甲烷，并使其通过燃料电池以产生氢气和电能。 收集甲烷甚至不需要额外的管道。 可以将其送入现有的天然气管道中 。 氢气将被泵送到加油站，而电能可被送入电网。 尽管该工厂已延迟 s。 另一家工厂即将将废纸转化为氢气 。 尽管此基础设施需要花费一些时间来开发，但一旦建立，它就有可能提供常规的氢气供应。

氢气作为可再生能源的储能 (Hydrogen as energy storage for renewables)

Renewable energy is great as a clean energy source. But, it has an inherent problem. It is not continuous.

可再生能源作为清洁能源非常重要。 但是，它有一个固有的问题。 它不是连续的。

What to do with the energy supply when the sun sets?

太阳下​​山时如何处理能源供应？

The answer is to store the energy in some form during peak production and use it when production is low. Hydrogen can be a storage solution. Renewable energy is used to convert water (could be seawater) to hydrogen. Then, this hydrogen can be used to produce electricity via fuel cells.

答案是在高峰生产期间以某种形式存储能量，并在产量较低时使用它。 氢可以是一种储存溶液 。 可再生能源用于将水(可能是海水)转化为氢。 然后，该氢可用于通过燃料电池发电。

氢超越汽车 (Going beyond vehicles, with hydrogen)

This is where Toyota is probably eying the future most. Hydrogen based power can be very useful in non-vehicle projects. Space flight is an important avenue. Hydrogen is the main fuel for space flight. Hydrogen is also more abundant in space. In fact, 75% of our universe is hydrogen. Toyota is working with the Japanese space agency JAXA designing a moon rover, powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The rover would have a range of 10,000 km.

这就是丰田最看不起未来的地方。 在非车辆项目中，氢能发电可能非常有用。 太空飞行是重要的途径。 氢是太空飞行的主要燃料 。 氢在空间上也更加丰富。 实际上， 我们宇宙的75％是氢 。 丰田汽车正在与日本航天局JAXA合作设计由氢燃料电池驱动的月球车 。 流浪者的射程为10,000公里。

There is also interest in hydrogen-powered aviation. It is not clear if Toyota will invest in that.

氢动力航空也引起了人们的兴趣。 目前尚不清楚丰田是否会对此进行投资。

Maybe not aviation, but Toyota is definitely interested in the sea. Toyota is developing fuel cells for maritime applications. That is a great thing, as commercial shipping contributes to emissions (2.5%). Commercial shipping is the lifeblood of modern trade and it is only expected to grow.

也许不是航空业，但丰田汽车绝对对海洋感兴趣。 丰田公司正在为海上应用开发燃料电池。 这是一件很了不起的事情，因为商业运输会增加排放量(2.5％) 。 商业航运是现代贸易的命脉， 预计只会增长 。

Toyota is also developing a completely hydrogen-powered city in Japan. Named Woven City, this is coming up on a 175-acre area. This futuristic city will be a test case of urban living with autonomous systems, robotics, smart homes, and AI. This is not too farfetched. In sunny, tropical parts of the world, a solar-based plant can turn seawater to hydrogen that powers cities as well as vehicles.

丰田汽车还在日本开发完全由氢动力驱动的城市。 这个名为Woven City的城市占地175英亩 。 这个具有未来主义色彩的城市将成为具有自治系统，机器人技术，智能家居和AI的城市生活的测试案例。 这不是太牵强。 在世界上阳光充足的热带地区，以太阳能为基础的植物可以将海水转化为氢，为城市和车辆提供动力。

那么，这到底意味着什么呢？ (So, what does it all mean?)

Toyota is putting its eggs in many baskets.

丰田将鸡蛋放在许多篮子里。

Years ago when Tesla bet on electric, major companies like VW, BMW was not interested. Now, everyone is eager to get on the EV bandwagon. It is possible that Toyota is the one betting on the future now! A future that has been many times delayed. And herein lies the risk. Is Toyota building a house of cards on a false notion of regular supply of clean, cheap hydrogen? Can an alternative technological breakthrough make hydrogen fuel cell tech redundant?

几年前，当特斯拉押注电动汽车时 ，像大众 ， 宝马这样的大公司对电动汽车不感兴趣。 现在，每个人都渴望加入电动汽车潮流。 丰田现在有可能成为未来的赌注！ 一个被拖延了很多次的未来。 这就是风险。 丰田是否以错误的观念来建造纸牌屋，即定期提供清洁，廉价的氢气？ 替代性技术突破能否使氢燃料电池技术变得多余？

Alternatively, breakthroughs may make hydrogen cheap and widely available. Also, scaling up production and investment on the supply side can solve some of the problems plaguing hydrogen.

替代地，突破可以使氢便宜并且广泛可用。 此外，扩大供应方面的生产和投资可以解决困扰氢气的一些问题。

EVs may be the future of cars. But, the cities — earthly or heavenly and the buses, trucks, or boats that ply between them would likely be hydrogen-based.

电动汽车可能是汽车的未来。 但是，地上或天上的城市以及在它们之间穿梭的公共汽车，卡车或船只可能都是基于氢气的。

翻译自: https://medium.com/swlh/toyota-hydrogen-fuel-cell-strategy-f54ff2afcb47

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