The carmaker’s UK branch will produce prototypes of the Toyota Hilux talk to a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, and aims to bring hydrogen ute into small-scale production.
The carmaker has received £11.3 million ($20.4 million) in funding for the project from the industry-leading Center for Advanced Engines. This amount includes £5.6 million ($10.1 million) from the UK government.
Toyota said first HiLux FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle) prototypes will be built next year at the carmaker’s plant in Burnaston, just outside Derby.
After successfully completing the test, the automaker is aiming to put hydrogen ute into “small mass production”.
It is unclear whether these cars will be sold or leased. Also don’t know how much they will cost.
Much of the work will be done by Toyota UK with support from Toyota Europe and a number of technical partners, including Ricardo and Thatcham Research.
Parts from Toyota’s second-generation fuel cell technology stack, currently used by Miraiwill be fitted to the HiLux hydrogen prototype.
The second-generation Mirai features three carbon fiber-reinforced plastic hydrogen tanks that carry up to 141 liters or 5.6kg of hydrogen pressured to 700 bar.
This feeds a 330-cell solid polymer electrolytic fuel cell stack mounted under the bonnet that generates electricity by combining stored hydrogen with atmospheric oxygen.
The hybrid-sized 1.2 kW lithium-ion battery stores excess energy generated by the fuel cell, as well as energy recovered from the regenerative braking system.
At the rear, there’s an electric motor generating 134kW and 300Nm, driving the rear wheels.
A drawing provided by the automaker shows that Toyota is planning a similar layout for the HiLux FCEV with a fuel tank in the front and an electric motor in the rear.
The lithium-ion battery pack seems to be placed in the HiLux’s tray, reducing the cargo capacity somewhat, while the FCEV’s three hydrogen tanks are arranged between the front seats and the rear axle, but below the tray.
The diagram shows that the tanks could interfere with the rear-seat fitting of the prototype based on the sub-cabin.
THAN: Everything Toyota HiLux
THAN: Everything Toyota Mirai
