Last year, Toyota teamed up with Kenworth Truck company to build a bunch of fuel cell tractors to haul goods around Los Angeles. Now the company is cementing its commitment to fuel cell powertrains with an agreement to jointly develop a heavy-duty fuel-cell truck with Hino Motors.
Part of the Toyota Group, Toyota Motors and Hino Motors are both aiming to cut their average carbon dioxide emissions for new vehicles by 90 percent by 2050. And they point out that around 60 percent of the total emissions from commercial vehicles in Japan can be traced back to heavy duty trucks. So it's time for a clean up.
While auto manufacturers across the globe are riding a battery-electric wave, the collaboration has instead plumped for hydrogen fuel cells due to the need for long-haul cruising range and quick refueling.
Working from Hino's Profia truck as a template, the 25-ton, 11.9-meter-long vehicle will feature two Toyota polymer electrolyte fuel-cell stacks developed for the next generation Mirai, with a new large capacity high pressure hydrogen tank and a Li-ion battery pack. Range is expected to be about 600 km (370 mi) in a mix of city and highway driving.
Water is the only waste produced by hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, which could make a positive difference on local air quality. However, though hydrogen used to fuel such vehicles can be produced using clean energy, Japan may be relying on countries like Australia to produce the liquid hydrogen it needs from fossil fuels like brown coal and natural gas.
A manufacturing timeline for the new heavy-duty fuel-cell truck has not been revealed at this time.
Source: Toyota
