Japanese auto giant Toyota and three other partners will jointly develop a light-duty fuel-cell electric truck, which it expects to roll out in Japan next year.
Toyota said in a statement released today that it will work with Isuzu, Hino and Japan Commercial Partnership Technology (CJPT) to develop the project. Isuzu and Hino made the same statement as Toyota on their respective websites.
One potential use case for fuel cell vehicles could be in supermarkets and convenience stores, Toyota said. In these areas, light trucks "need to travel long distances for extended periods of time, making multiple deliveries in one day". Toyota also said: "Fuel cell technology uses hydrogen, which has a high energy density, and such vehicles do not emit carbon dioxide while driving. Under these operating conditions, the technology is considered effective." Toyota said they plan to Introduce the new model to the Japanese market after January 2023, using light-duty fuel cell trucks in Fukushima and Tokyo.
Toyota started working on fuel cell vehicles as early as 1992, which have a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen in their tanks to generate electricity. Toyota said its fuel cell vehicles "did not emit anything but water".
In 2014, the company launched the Mirai, a hydrogen fuel cell sedan. In addition to the Mirai, Toyota is also involved in the development of large hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, including a prototype for a bus and heavy-duty truck called the Sora. In addition to fuel cells, Toyota is also considering using hydrogen for internal combustion engines.
On July 19, Toyota, Suzuki, Daihatsu and CJPT also announced plans to launch a fully electric small commercial vehicle on the market in fiscal 2023. "The small commercial pure electric vans developed by the four companies will be used by partners in social implementation projects in Fukushima and Tokyo," several companies said.
While Toyota is best known for its hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the company is also trying to make inroads in the increasingly competitive pure electric vehicle market, where the likes of Tesla and Volkswagen are vying for leadership. However, Toyota has encountered challenges in the pure electric vehicle market. In June of this year, Toyota recalled more than 2,000 pure electric SUV bZ4X because the model's wheel hub bolts were at risk of falling off.
