Toyota Motor Corporation announced that it has developed a new generation hydrogen fuel cell (FC) system designed to meet the demands of the heavy commercial vehicle and machinery sectors. The new system will be unveiled to the public at the H2 & FC EXPO (International Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo) in Tokyo, Japan, later 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% more fuel-efficient and significantly cheaper than the previous system due to improvements in design and manufacturing processes.
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The company, which includes commercial vehicle manufacturer Hino Motors, said it aims to expand the use of FCs in the heavy-duty commercial vehicle segment when commercial production of the new system begins in 2026 – targeting 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. 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.”
Toyota commercially launched its first FC system in 2014, in the Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), and has since sold approximately 28,000 units of the model in over 30 countries worldwide. In 2019 the company began supplying FC systems for other applications, including buses, trains and stationary power generators, supplying over 2,700 units to more than 100 customers globally to date.
