????豐田汽車公司（Toyota Motor）正打算再次無視那些唱反調的人。這次豐田的創舉是推出首款商用氫燃料電池汽車。這家日本汽車廠商表示，新車將于明年上市銷售。

????豐田在一月底于底特律舉行的北美國際車展（North American International Auto Show）和一月初在拉斯維加斯舉行的消費電子展（Consumer Electronics Show）上都展示過一輛名為FCV的原型車。很多人都希望這輛車正式推出時能有個更好記的名字。

????首批量產燃料電池車的規模不大（不足一萬輛），成本很高（五萬美元到十萬美元之間），而且基本上只在加州銷售，因為豐田表示加州已有的小規模連鎖加氫站能滿足消費者對燃料的需求。

????不過豐田也著重指出，這項技術的潛力很大，因為氫氣雖然不是天然資源，但卻能從沼氣這類化石燃料中提取。同時燃料電池非常清潔，它在產生電能的同時只排放水蒸氣和熱量。從本質上說，氫燃料電池就是另一種蓄電池。

????而特斯拉（Tesla）電動車公司的創始人埃隆?穆斯克在去年五月接受采訪時曾表示，這項新技術就是“傻瓜電池”，是個“笨”主意。穆斯克還表示懷念通用汽車公司（General Motors）現已退休的高管鮑勃?盧茲，正是他經常貶低油電混動車，叫它們“蠢東西”——后來馬斯克也開始信奉這種觀點。

????20世紀80年代，豐田首次推出雷克薩斯豪華車的時候，市場也曾深表懷疑。到了20世紀90年代末，汽車業對那輛名字古怪的普銳斯（Prius）油電混動車也嚴重不看好。可是這兩個開先河的產品在市場上卻一直都大獲全勝。

????普及點化學常識吧！燃料電池的核心是由聚合物電解質薄膜（PEM）組成的，氫氣和氧氣就從這層膜穿過。在它們穿過時，電子就從氫原子上剝離下來并變成電流——而氫分子與氧氣結合就形成水蒸氣。

????科學家和工程師早就掌握了制造燃料電池的方法，而且已經用在了航空項目和試驗車輛上。這些電池商用的最大障礙在于其尺寸、復雜性和高成本。通用汽車、福特汽車公司（Ford）、戴姆勒汽車公司（Daimler）及其他眾多汽車廠商一直在致力于研發一種更耐用、更經濟的小型燃料電池。有幾家廠商還通過合作來降低研發成本。

????氫氣必須在一定壓力下保存，而且遇火就會爆炸。為了證明自己為FCV研發的存儲罐是可靠的，豐田特地對它開槍射擊，結果它也并沒有爆炸。

????另一個讓燃料電池難以投入實用的障礙（豐田聲稱已經解決了這個問題）在于超低溫。它會導致水蒸氣凝結，從而讓氫氣無法穿過聚合物電解質薄膜。

????不過最主要的問題還在于基礎設施。對足夠多的消費者來說，豐田的FCV能夠引起足夠多消費者的興趣，而且讓他們能買得起，從而能在生產和銷售上激發更多的創新嗎？能源公司早已掌握了如何將沼氣轉化為工業級氫氣的辦法。如果有足夠的需求，加氣站就能增加加氫泵。

????豐田運營資深副總裁鮑勃?卡特說：“如果其他人看不上這項技術，那也沒關系，” 同時他指出普銳斯問世以來已經賣出了600萬輛。

????很久以前汽車高管們就調侃過，氫氣是未來燃料——而且永遠都屬于未來式。而豐田這次可能馬上又要讓這個笑話擺脫難堪的命運了。

????譯者：清遠

????Toyota Motor is getting set to defy naysayers once more. This time, Toyota's initiative is the first commercial hydrogen-powered fuel-cell car, which the Japanese automaker said it will sell starting next year.

????Toyota (TM) showed a prototype it calls FCV at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last week and at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier in the month. Many are hoping the company can think of a catchier name by the time the car is introduced.

????The first production run of fuel-cell cars will be small (fewer than 10,000), costly (between $50,000 and $100,000) and sold mostly in California, where Toyota says a small chain of hydrogen filling stations will satisfy demand for the fuel.

????But the automaker also contends the potential for the technology is enormous, because hydrogen, which doesn't occur naturally, can be derived from fossil fuels like methane. Fuel cells, meanwhile, are clean, generating electricity and emitting only water vapor and heat. In essence, a hydrogen fuel cell is another type of battery.

????Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla (TSLA) battery-powered cars, in an interview in May referred to the new technology as "fool cells" and a "stupid" idea. Musk is reminiscent of General Motors (GM) executive Bob Lutz, now retired, who regularly dismissed gas-electric hybrids as "dumb" -- until he became an apostle.

????Toyota elicited deep skepticism when it unveiled Lexus luxury cars in the 1980s. In the late 1990s the automobile industry likely was dubious about its oddly named Prius gas-electric hybrid. Both initiatives have been grand slams.

????Chemistry tutorial alert! At its heart, a fuel cell consists of a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) through which hydrogen and oxygen pass. As they do, electrons are stripped from the hydrogen and become electric current -- the hydrogen molecules combine with oxygen to form water vapor.

????Scientists and engineers have known how to build fuel cells for some time and have demonstrated them in space programs and in experimental vehicles. The main obstacles to their commercialization have been their size, complexity, and high cost. GM, Ford (F), Daimler and most other carmakers have been working to develop a small, durable and affordable fuel cell. Several manufacturers are partnering to reduce research cost.

????Hydrogen must be stored under pressure and will explode if ignited. To show that it had developed a reasonable storage tank for its FCV, Toyota fired bullets at it, without an explosion.

????Another obstacle to practical use of fuel cells (which Toyota says it's solved) has been low temperature, which causes water vapor to freeze, thereby inhibiting the flow of hydrogen across the PEM.

????But the major complication has been infrastructure. Will Toyota's FCV be interesting and affordable to consumers in large enough measure to attract innovation in terms of production and distribution? Energy companies know how to convert methane to hydrogen in industrial quantities. Filling stations could add hydrogen pumps if enough demand exists.

????"If others want to tune out this technology, that's fine," said Bob Carter, Toyota senior vice president of operations, noting that his company has sold six million Prius hybrids since its introduction.

????Once upon a time, automotive executives would crack that hydrogen was the fuel of the future --and always would be. Toyota may be on the brink of putting their joke out of its misery.