For several years, Toyota hydrogen bet: After marketing the Mirai fuel cell sedan, the Japanese automaker is even rumored to be working on a new hydrogen car much more affordable than that.
The head of Toyota does not hide the ambitions of the brand in this regard: Koji Sato believes that hydrogen will become the cornerstone of the future of the world’s leading car manufacturer. While the spotlight is on at the Munich Motor Show, Toyota has just unveiled a prototype electric Hilux on hydrogen fuel cells.
Toyota Hilux on water: more than 600 km of autonomy
This zero-emission pickup truck prototype was unveiled at the Toyota Manufacturing UK (TMUK) industrial site in Derby, England. The Toyota Hilux hydrogen project was developed together with consortium partners (Ricardo, ETL, D2H Advanced Technologies and Thatcham Research) and is supported by UK Government funding and Toyota Motor Corporation.
Hydrogen under high pressure is stored in three tanks located in the chassis, and makes it possible to offer autonomy of more than 600 km, which is a real advantage compared to a traditional electric car battery. The hybrid battery stores the electricity produced by the fuel cell and is placed in the rear tray to limit the loss of cabin space.
An electric motor and its hydrogen fuel cell are used elements from the Toyota Mirai organ bankwhich has been on the market for almost 10 years.
An important British project
The design of this Toyota Hilux prototype with a hydrogen engine began in early 2022 and then went into production in June 2023 at a dedicated site at the Toyota English plant. One in total ten prototypes will see the light of day by the end of 2023, and they will undergo significant safety, operational and performance tests to verify their compliance with the requirements of serial production.
Toyota, however, has not confirmed whether a hydrogen Hilux will be sold in its range, but clarifies that the project has enabled TMUK staff to develop and apply new skills in fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen system components.
Read also:
• Video: Test session on this armored Toyota Land Cruiser!
• In 2023, Toyota RAV4 will become more technological
• Toyota Corolla GR MorizoEdition, even crazier! But…
Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.