Two Toyota Highlander fuel cell hybrid vehicles — advanced (FCHV-adv) recently finished a 331-mile round trip drive between Torrance and San Diego, California. The surplus fuel in the tanks suggested that the SUVs could have easily crossed the 400-mile mark. Therefore, what the researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) ended up with is a presumed 431-mile driving range and an average fuel economy of 68.3 miles/kg (approximate mpg equivalent).
Since the researchers wanted to expose the SUV to some harsh driving conditions, the 11-hour trek that began at 8 a.m. passed through some high-speed highways, moderate public roads, and stop-and-go traffic. During its expedition, the Highlanders did well in touching a maximum speed of 75 mph, while the average speed for day was 30 mph.
Via: NREL Newsroom