2015 Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Vehicle

A fuel cell generates electricity from an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and air. Hydrogen atoms compressed and stored in high-pressure tanks—the Mirai has two that together hold about 11 pounds of hydrogen at 10,000 psi—are sent through a platinum-coated membrane that separates their electrons and protons. Those electrons produce an electrical current to power a drive motor, in this case a synchronous AC unit capable of 151 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. The freed protons combine with oxygen on the other side of the membrane before exiting the tailpipe as water. How much water? About 100 cc per mile, according to Toyota, or a little less than half a cup. Read the complete article at Car and Driver..

2015 Ford F-150 Aluminum Body Structure

The 2015 Ford F-150 cab and box fabricated from high-strength, military grade, aluminum alloys Fully boxed frame with eight crossmembers (five through-welded) made of up to 78 percent 70,000-psi high-strength steel (up from 23 percent in the 2014 F-150 frame); up to 60 lbs. lighter with state-of-the-art roll-forming process that minimizes weight Vehicle weight up to 700 pounds lighter than before resulting in better fuel efficiency, greater towing and payload capacities, improved power-to-weight ratio for faster acceleration, enhanced handling and braking responsiveness.

Seat Belt-mounted Air Bag

The inflatable seat belts have two advantages: First, they spread the crash force over a wider area of the body, potentially reducing the risk of injury to the chest. Second, deployment of the bag tightens the belt, reducing forward movement and reducing the potential for head injury.

• Ford has done extensive testing with the belts to confirm their potential to reduce crash forces and movement—reducing the potential for injury to the head and chest. The testing included child-sized dummies and small adult cadavers in a variety of positions that may be of concern, including simulated sleeping children, positions when the head is lying on the belts, and conditions where the belts were positioned under the arms.
• The belts inflate across the chest using compressed gas stored in a small canister. Once a small charge breaks the seal of the canister, the gas deploys the airbag. This is a cold gas system. It actually feels cold or cool to the touch, not hot, as a pyrotechnically charged front airbag system would be.
• The bag is designed to stay inflated for about 6 seconds, unlike a front-seat airbag which deflates immediately. As a result, the inflated belt offers the potential to maintain its benefits during longer crash events, such as rollovers.