Lexus Looking Into Hydrogen Propulsion, Exec Says

Toyota’s premium brand, Lexus, is looking into putting a hydrogen fuel cell

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by Cristian Gnaticov

November 11, 2016 at 21:16

Toyota’s premium brand, Lexus, is looking into putting a hydrogen fuel cell car on the roads within the next few years.

The automaker isn’t alone in this battle, however, as it benefits from its parent company’s expertise in the field, with the Mirai, which will lend its hydrogen-fuelled technology. However, before thinking of an actual car, Lexus still has a few problems to overcome, and size is one of them, AutoExpress reports.

“The problem is packaging the technology into a normal sized car. It will fit into an SUV. We just need to get the right level of performance for a premium car“, said the brand’s chief of Europe, Alain Uyttenhoven.

If everything goes as planned, then we should see a hydrogen-powered Lexus by the end of the decade, with a significant power boost over the current Toyota Mirai, which is good for 151 HP and 335 Nm (247 lb-ft) of torque, allowing it to go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.6 seconds and up to a top speed of 179 km/h (111 mph).

Lexus already had an attempt at such a vehicle when they presented the LF-FC last year, a concept that used a fuel cell power system to drive the rear wheels, along with two in-wheel motors for front axle propulsion.

Note: Lexus LF-FC study pictured