Toyota is serious about hydrogen fuel cells — and not just for cars. The Japanese automaker unveiled Project Portal, a hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck, in April 2017, and since then it’s logged nearly 10,000 miles of testing and hauling cargo around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Now Toyota is deploying an upgraded, second-generation version.
Project Portal 2.0 uses the same powertrain as its predecessor, which consists of two hydrogen fuel-cell stacks lifted from Toyota Mirai sedans, plus a 12-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The new truck produces the same 670 horsepower and 1,325 pound-feet of torque as the original Project Portal “Alpha” vehicle, but Toyota says range has increased by 100 miles, to 300 miles per hydrogen fill-up.
Toyota also added a sleeper cab for Project Portal 2.0, although it’s unclear how often it will be used. The original Project Portal truck is currently used in “drayage” operations, hauling cargo relatively short distances from docks to nearby rail yards and warehouses. This keeps the truck close to a fueling station at all times, and demonstrates a greener alternative to the 16,000 pollution-spewing diesel trucks Toyota claims are currently puttering around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The sleeper cab seems aimed more at demonstrating Toyota’s ability to package fuel-cell powertrain components within a relatively stock semi-truck body than any immediate real-world use (related: semi-truck body shop).
Project Portal represents a different approach to zero-emission trucking than some other companies are taking. While Toyota is concentrating on short-haul drayage, Nikola Motors is promising a production hydrogen fuel-cell semi for longer hauls. Tesla and newcomer Thor Trucks are planning long-haul trucks powered by batteries. But these companies will have to ensure that there are enough hydrogen fueling stations or charging stations to support their rigs.
Toyota also hasn’t committed to a timeline for launching a production version of Project Portal. The automaker said version 2.0 is closer to being commercially viable, and has discussed selling fuel-cell trucks in the past, but won’t offer any other specifics. Note that both Project Portal trucks are based on existing Kenworth chassis, not a Toyota-specific design.
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are still hampered by a lack of fueling stations and high production costs, but Toyota remains committed to the technology. The automaker plans to produce the next-generation Mirai in much larger numbers, hoping to drive prices down through economies of scale. While the current-generation Mirai already has a range of 310 miles — more than most battery-electric cars — Toyota is also expected to increase the range of the next-generation model in order to make it more appealing to customers.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.