While there is a swing towards electrification for many forms of transport, Toyota Motor Corporation is continuing its development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and also bringing Toyota group electric vehicles to market.
One of the Japanese company’s latest fuel cell projects is a joint venture between Toyota and its wholly owned truck-making subsidiary, Hino, to develop a heavy-duty fuel cell truck.
Toyota and Hino have positioned hydrogen as an important energy source for the future and have worked together on developing fuel cell technologies for more than 15 years, since their joint demonstration of a fuel cell bus in 2003.
The Hino heavy-duty truck model on which the new development is based is a 700-Series freight carrier.
It is fitted with a large-capacity high-pressure hydrogen tank that will provide a range of about 600 km, on an integrated city and highway driving cycle, between refuelling.
This makes it ideal for long-distance transport, where operators require a relatively long range between refuelling stops, as well as the ability to refuel the truck quickly.
Fuel cell trucks running on hydrogen meet these requirements, with zero emissions.
The development truck uses two of Toyota’s polymer electrolyte fuel cell stacks that were developed for the recently unveiled Mirai passenger car.
Electricity is stored in lithium-ion batteries, and drive to the rear wheels is by means of an alternating current electric motor.
A comprehensive weight reduction programme has been undertaken to ensure sufficient load capacity.
Hino’s Environmental Challenge 2050, which was announced in 2017, includes the aim of cutting the average carbon dioxide emissions from new trucks and buses by 90% from 2013 levels.