Toyota has developed a prototype of a lightweight and safe hydrogen fuel cartridge for transportation of the future and beyond

While many automakers are focusing on battery electric vehicles, Toyota continues to go its own way, trying to find the best technology for using hydrogen fuel, not only in transportation, but also in other areas.
The new prototype of the replaceable hydrogen cartridge is easy and safe to use.Image source: ToyotaAlthough hydrogen fuel is virtually safe for the environment, the gas is extremely explosive and this limits the scope of its application.
A technology jointly developed by Toyota and its subsidiary Woven Planet could fundamentally change the situation.
The basic idea is that fuel cartridges can be refueled at a special facility, transported to where they are needed, and then returned for refueling.The cartridge is only about 40 cm long, about 18 cm in diameter, and weighs about 5 kg.
Toyota calls them \"portable, affordable and convenient energy that allows you to bring hydrogen to where people live, work and play without the use of pipelines,\" followed by quick replacement and recharging.Cars are not limited to the scope of such cartridges - they can be used in home energy and other areas.
According to the company, the gas in one cartridge should be enough to generate enough electricity to run a typical microwave oven continuously for 3-4 hours.In its press release, Toyota noted that most of the hydrogen today is produced from fossil fuels, so it is not really \"green\".
Nevertheless, the company believes that in the future it will be possible to produce it with minimal harmful emissions into the atmosphere.Image source: ToyotaToyota plans to conduct a series of tests in different locations.
The company also intends to build a comprehensive supply chain, which will speed up and simplify the production, transportation and daily use of hydrogen.
For now, Toyota is positioning the cartridges as a solution for personal or home use.

Airbus has opened a hydrogen development center for airliners in Great Britain

Renowned airliner manufacturer Airbus is launching another site in Great Britain to develop hydrogen technologies for next generations of air transport.
Another Zero Emission Development Centre (ZEDC) has already begun work on hydrogen power development.Image source: AirbusOne of the center's main goals is to have a \"cost-competitive cryogenic fuel system\" that will be required for the ZEROe series aircraft - their commercial use is scheduled to begin by 2035.The ZEDC in the UK will join similar facilities in Spain, Germany and France - expected to be ready in 2023 for ground testing of the first fully functional hydrogen cryogenic tank Just this week, eco-activists sued air carrier KLM, claiming that the Dutch company misled airline passengers about the environmental impact of flying.Airbus representatives have already said that aviation could face serious obstacles if it cannot change at the necessary pace.
The company is working to reduce the fuel consumption of airliners, and to reduce carbon emissions.
The planes produced today by Airbus already support the use of up to 50% \"sustainable\" fuel (SAF), and by the end of the decade it is planned to reach 100%.Hydrogen as an energy carrier has many uses in different industries and can be produced in different ways.
So far most of the hydrogen production is based on the use of fossil fuels, but in the future it is planned to produce it from water using electrolysis, and the electricity will come from renewable energy sources.Airbus is not the only company looking for ways to use hydrogen in aviation.
Both large holdings and smaller companies like ZeroAvia, whose six-seat hydrogen plane made its first flight back in the fall of 2020, are developing hydrogen-based solutions.