Could the HiLux go hydrogen-powered?
Toyota says it has developed a more durable and fuel efficient hydrogen fuel cell system that will offer up to 20 per cent more cruising range than its current technology.
The brand also claims it will offer the same “maintenance-free” durability as its current diesel engines, such as the 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel offered on the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series and HiLux, and two times that of the prior generation, which currently underpins the Toyota Mirai sedan.
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The all-new third-generation hydrogen fuel cell system has been designed with the commercial sector in mind, but will also be transferable to passenger cars and “general purpose applications”, such as generators, excavators, trains and ships, according to the brand.
Fuel efficiency on the new system has been improved by 1.2 times, or 20 per cent, meaning cruising range on a next-generation passenger car equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell could approach a claimed 780km, up 130km on the Mirai’s claimed 650km range.
The Mirai currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest trip completed in a hydrogen car after a five-minute refill, clocking 1360km.
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Toyota has also been working on a hydrogen-powered HiLux, having built 10 prototypes in the UK with a cruising range of 600km, more than it claims a battery-electric equivalent could offer.
Toyota said there will be a significant reduction in cost on the new system “through innovation in cell design and manufacturing processes”.
It’s unclear exactly what that means in terms of cost for future hydrogen vehicles given the Mirai is only available in Australia under specialised leasing arrangements.
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In the US, however, it is sold at dealers with a starting price of $52,000 ($81,869), rising to as high as $69,000 ($108,634).
Cars in Australia are generally priced lower than those sold in the US, so we would expect a more affordable price, should a next-generation model be sold locally.
The technology is planned for introduction to the global market, but primarily in Japan, Europe, North America and China, “after 2026”.
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Toyota is one of the biggest investors in hydrogen fuel cell technology in the automotive industry, alongside Hyundai and BMW, which it says will be a key technology in its “multi-pathway” strategy to carbon neutrality.
Critics say it is a far more expensive and energy-intensive technology than electric vehicles, which use electricity that is readily available from the grid. Hydrogen vehicles instead require the production of hydrogen fuel, which must be produced through renewable sources for it to be truly zero-emissions.
