Toyota has announced that it has developed a new generation hydrogen fuel cell system which it says has been designed to meet the demands of heavy commercial vehicle and machinery sectors.
Toyota claim the new system which was unveiled to the public at the International Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Expo in Tokyo this week.
Toyota claims its third-generation FC system is twice as durable as the previous generation model, achieving durability levels comparable with current diesel engines, and will be available with a maintenance-free design. The company also claims the new FC system is 20 per cent more fuel-efficient and significantly cheaper than the previous system due to improvements in design and manufacturing processes.
Toyota , which includes truck maker Hino, said it aims to expand the use of Fuel Cells in the heavy-duty commercial vehicle segment when commercial production of the new system begins in 2026, which it says will target markets in Europe and North America, as well as Japan and China.
Toyota views hydrogen as an important fuel “in the pursuit of carbon neutrality” and has been actively collaborating in this segment with partners across various industries and with other manufacturer groups including US truck giant Paccar.
The company pointed out that the development of new technologies and solutions for the transportation, storage and usage of hydrogen has been a key focus within its global R&D operations for some time, adding that “to further accelerate the use cases and adoption of FC technology to achieve a hydrogen society, the continuous evolution of FC technology is necessary, and this 3rd Gen FC system represents a significant step-change.”
The claim is that the new third generation fuel cells boast improved durability, with up to twice the durability of the prior generation, achieving claimed durability comparable to diesel engines along with a maintenance-free design.
the new gen Toyota fuel cell is also claimed to have major Improvements in fuel efficiency, up by a claimed 1.2 times that of the prior generation, allowing for 20 per cent more range.
Along with that Toyota is also claiming Significant cost reduction through innovations in cell design and manufacturing processes.
Toyota commercially launched its first Fuel Cell system in 2014, in the Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), and has since sold approximately 28,000 units of the model in more than 30 countries worldwide.
In 2019 the company began supplying Fuel Cell systems for other applications, including buses, trains and stationary power generators, supplying over 2,700 units to more than 100 customers globally to date.
