A hydrogen-powered Toyota Hilux has made its global debut in the United Kingdom as part of the Japanese carmaker’s multi-pronged powertrain strategy for the future. Showcased in prototype form, the Hilux fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) derives powertrain technology from the Mirai, a hydrogen-fuelled Toyota sedan that is already in production. The Hilux FCEV rolled out of Toyota’s Burnaston plant in Derby, where it was developed as a joint project funded by the British government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre. This is the first of a total of 10 such prototypes that will be built and tested to study the performance and feasibility of a production model.
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Fuel cell stack is positioned under the Hilux's bonnet.
In place of the venerable 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine under the bonnet is the fuel cell stack borrowed from the Mirai sedan. Three high-pressure storage tanks have been incorporated into the centre of the Hilux’s frame, which store hydrogen gas and enable a range of close to 590 kilometres. The battery, which stores electricity produced by the fuel cell stack, is situated in the load bay at the rear in a bid to avoid a reduction in interior space. The load bay itself is covered by a steel lid. Just like the Mirai, Toyota says the Hilux will only emit water vapour on the move.
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Three high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks are placed in the centre of the Hilux's frame.
The project initially began as a feasibility study early in 2022, and construction of the prototype only began at the start of June this year. Engineering firm Ricardo supported the technical integration of the fuel cell components into the Hilux’s chassis, with D2H Advanced Technologies conducting computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and Thatcham Research in charge of validating repairability and creating an FCEV training package for the repair market.
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Toyota will build 10 prototypes of the hydrogen-powered Hilux for testing.
This is not the first zero carbon emissions version of the Hilux showcased in 2023. In March, Toyota had taken the wraps off of the battery electric Hilux concept, hinting at how the workhorse could evolve in the time to come. Closer to home, Toyota joined hands with the International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) to study the feasibility of hydrogen vehicles in India, using a Mirai sedan for on-road testing.
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Toyota also recently lifted the veil on the world’s first ethanol-powered BS6 Phase-II vehicle, the Innova Hycross Flex-Fuel hybrid.
