Driven by growing customer demand and Toyota's holistic approach to mobility across all sectors, Toyota has identified new opportunities in the commercial vehicle market in terms of offering zero emission products.
Toyota successfully applied for APC (Advanced Propulsion Centre) funding last year, presenting the project to contribute to the development of new, cleaner technologies and mobility solutions.
APC plays a fundamental role in the UK automotive landscape and offers a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between industry needs and future technology.
This funding specifically supports the next stage of R&D that takes products from proof of concept to prototype vehicles.
The consortium led by Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. (TMUK) will receive funding to carry out the development of the Hilux Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV).
Toyota works closely with highly competent UK-based technical partners namely Ricardo, ETL, D2H and Thatcham Research.
The aim of this project is to adopt Toyota's second-generation hydrogen fuel cell components such as those used in the latest Toyota Mirai for the transformation of the Hilux into an FCEV.
The Toyota Motor Europe (TME) R&D team will provide expert support to enable the UK-based team to build the expertise and independence to develop the next generation of hydrogen drivetrains.
For more than 20 years, Toyota has promoted a multi-pathway approach to carbon neutrality by offering a diverse range of vehicles.
This includes all electrification technologies including Hybrid Electric, Plug-in Hybrid Electric, Battery Electric and Fuel Cell Electric.
The successful development of the hydrogen transport sector is an important foundation towards this goal. Within the scope of the offer, an initial prototype vehicle will be produced at TMUK Burnaston during 2023.
Following the successful performance, the target was to prepare for a small series production.
This project is an exciting opportunity to research the application of Toyota's fuel cell technology in the vehicle segment which is key for a number of industry groups and will help support the sector's move towards decarbonization.
