The 1998 Toyota FCHV concept car was powered by what type of system?

The 1998 Toyota FCHV concept car was powered by a fuel-cell system.

FCHV stands for “Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle,” and Toyota’s program combined a hydrogen fuel cell with an electric drivetrain. The fuel cell generated electricity from onboard hydrogen, while a battery could assist the motors during acceleration and recover energy through regenerative braking.

Toyota’s FCHV development began with the FCHV-1 in 1996, based on the RAV4. The FCHV-2 followed in 1997 and used a methanol reformer to extract hydrogen. Later versions, including the Highlander-based FCHV-3, FCHV-4 and FCHV-5, expanded the technology and improved performance. The 1998-era concept belongs to this broader sequence of experimental fuel-cell vehicles.

“Hybrid” can be misleading here. The vehicle was indeed a hybrid in the sense that its fuel cell and battery worked together, but “fuel cell” is the defining power system and the best answer. It was not a conventional battery-electric car, diesel vehicle or gasoline hybrid.