Pros With Careers in the Auto Industry Are Excited About this Fuel Cell Concept Car and its 1,000 km Range
For decades, the Tokyo Motor Show has been one of the top opportunities for leading auto manufacturers to showcase their latest and greatest designs. Among the many cars unveiled at this year’s edition is one car that has captured quite a bit of attention, especially with those interested in greener fuel options. Unveiled last week at the 2017 edition of the Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota’s Fine-Comfort Ride concept—a sleek and spacious hydrogen cell-powered vehicle—comes with an impressive range of 1,000 kilometres.
Professionals in the industry are taking note. Why? Here’s a closer look at what this potential game-changer could bring.
The Ongoing Struggle for Range
For years, the range of alternatively fuelled vehicles has been an intense competition point. Manufacturers, keen to tempt drivers over from the gas-powered market, have sought better and better performances from lithium-ion battery powered electric vehicles (EVs). Meanwhile, maintenance professionals are now getting familiar with Chevy’s new long-range Bolt, which features a well-received 383km per charge, and Tesla’s Model X, a luxury SUV with approximately the same range.
By comparison, the range of the Fine-Comfort Ride massively outstrips both of these competitors. Thanks to its hydrogen fuel cell technology, the vehicle will be able to crack that 1,000 kilometres per charge milestone, something still out reach for lithium-ion EVs. It will provide this range with a quicker turn-around time than plug and charge vehicles, with an average cell replacement time of approximately three minutes. Emitting no Co2 as it operates, this little concept car’s capabilities are startlingly clear. For students preparing for careers in the auto industry, the next few years could hold many more bold concept cars that continue to push the envelope.
You Don’t Need to Be an Auto Mechanic to Enjoy This Car’s Bold Design
However, great range isn’t the only thing this car has to offer. It just takes one look at the Fine-Comfort Ride to tell that this is a vehicle that is blazing a new trail in terms of appearance too.
The car’s exterior aesthetic calls to mind vehicles from movies like Blade Runner or Minority Report, with slick, unbroken curves that maximize aerodynamics. Seen from above, the Fine-Comfort Ride boasts a diamond-like shape, which promises plenty of interior space for passenger use, especially in the first row behind the driver.
Here’s a closer look at the exterior and interior of the Fine-Comfort Ride:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UMUsEVl8Pc]
An Interior Impressing Those with Careers in the Auto Industry
Toyota calls the Fine-Comfort Ride design a “new form of the premium saloon.” True to that title, it offers a unique interior design that boasts several standout features. The most striking feature it offers is its “bucket” style seats, which can be used in a traditional forward-facing manner, or adjusted to form a roundtable set-up. This arrangement speaks to the company’s ambition for the vehicle to be “more than a car,” operating as a conference or networking space on wheels. The vehicle also offers multiple touch displays, and its hefty hydrogen power source can easily power a host of consumer devices.
The vision that the Fine-Comfort Ride offers is impressive. However, as a concept car, it remains to be seen what makes it to market from what is clearly a high-flying design. One thing is certain, though: it’s an exciting time to become an auto mechanic, as the industry continues to innovate in inspiring new ways.
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