Japanese carmaker Toyota says it has begun evaluation and demonstration of its hydrogen fuel cell Hilux prototype in the United Kingdom.
Ten hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) Hilux prototypes have been built by Toyota, which has been backed by financial support from the UK government.
Five of the prototypes are currently undergoing real-world field testing to assess their safety, performance, functionality, and durability. A further five units are currently engaged in customer and media demonstrations, including two vehicles doing duty at the forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
Image Credit: ToyotaExternally, the fuel cell Hilux prototypes retain the same dimensions and appearance of the latest fossil powered Toyota Hilux, measuring in extra-cab format, it is 5325mm long, 1855mm wide, and 1810mm tall.
Power for the FCEV Hilux is delivered using core elements from the Toyota Mirai, its first hydrogen vehicle, delivering an expected driving range of up to 600km. Hydrogen is stored in three high-pressure fuel tanks mounted within the ladder frame chassis, each of which contains 2.6kg for a total system capacity of 7.8kg.
A polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack contains 330 cells and is mounted above the front axle, while a lithium-ion hybrid battery used to store electricity produced by the fuel cell is positioned in the rear load deck, above the hydrogen tanks.
Current testing and operation of the ten prototype FCEV Hilux vehicles concludes the final phase of the fuel cell Hilux research and demonstration project.
This final phase brings to an end several years of research, which started in early 2022 with a feasibility study to demonstrate the advantages of hydrogen through a representative prototype vehicle.
Toyota is hoping Europe will emerge as one of the largest hydrogen fuel cell markets by 2030, but so far sales of hydrogen cars have been tiny – numbering in the thousands while EV sales have topped 20 million. Still, Japanese car makers insist on the technology, as well as hybrid cars, and are yet to fully embrace the switch to EV.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.