Hydrogen-powered Toyota Hilux in the works

KUALA LUMPUR: Toyota is one of the several automakers that are involved in developing hydrogen-powered cars. Recently, the Japanese car brand announced making a prototype of the hydrogen fuel cell-powered iteration of its iconic pickup, the Hilux. 

Toyota’s UK arm will lead the consortium of UK suppliers to produce a fleet of hydrogen-powered concept models at its Derbyshire plant for two years, commencing the next year. The zero-emission vehicle will be powered by Mirai hydrogen sedan technology.

For those who are not aware, hydrogen-powered vehicles use oxygen and hydrogen atoms to generate electricity that drives the wheels. However, they use electric motors as well. The biggest advantage of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles over battery-powered ones is that they don't require materials like lithium, nickel, and cobalt, which are becoming harder to source.

To develop the hydrogen-powered Hilux, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK has successfully received funding from the UK Government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). The latter is a non-profit organisation that works in tandem with the automotive industry, the UK government, and academic institutions to accelerate the development of cleaner technologies and new mobility concepts for a quick transition to net-zero transmission vehicles.

The consortium led by Toyota UK will carry out the Hydrogen Hilux project in collaboration with highly skilled technical engineering partners such as Ricardo, ETL, D2H, and Thatcham Research. It will also get technical support from the Research and Development team of Toyota Motor Europe helping it to become self-sufficient in developing its next-gen hydrogen powertrains.

“The UK is one of the key markets for pick-up trucks and is an important market for Toyota. This funding represents a tremendous opportunity to develop a zero-emission solution in a critical market segment. We would like to thank the UK Government for the funding that will enable the consortium to investigate the development of a fuel cell powered powertrain for the Toyota Hilux, supporting our carbon neutrality ambition, said Matt Harrison, President & CEO of Toyota Motor Europe.

Are you looking forward to the hydrogen-powered Toyota Hilux? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: Toyota Hilux gets a new sportier variant in Indonesia, the Hilux GR Sport