Toyota has recently unveiled a prototype of the hydrogen-powered Toyota Hilux pick-up truck in the United Kingdom. This announcement comes after the Japanese automaker had previously announced its plans to develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered Hilux about nine months ago.
The project was made possible through government funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre, and the vehicle was showcased at Toyota’s production facility in Derby, UK. Currently, this hydrogen-powered pick-up truck is in the prototype stage, with only ten examples manufactured for testing purposes to assess performance and feasibility.
Toyota Hilux Hydrogen Fuel Cell EV Range
The Toyota Hilux fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is powered by the same powertrain technology as the Toyota Mirai sedan. Toyota claims that this pick-up truck will offer an impressive range of up to 590 kilometres, thanks to the three high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks. Additionally, the electricity generated by the hydrogen fuel cell is stored in battery packs located in the truck’s loading deck.
Toyota began working on the Hilux FCEV prototype in 2022, according to reports. Currently, a few more leading firms are working on the hydrogen-powered Hilux. Ricardo, a known global partner in the automotive industry, was in charge of integrating the fuel cell components into the truck’s chassis. In addition, D2H Advanced Technology performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study, while Thatcham Research, which conducts research and testing for automotive safety, has been working on confirming repairability and developing an FCEV training package.
Toyota has been working on hydrogen fuel cells and other hybrid technologies for many years. The automaker recently revealed a 48-volt mild-hybrid technology for its turbo-diesel engines. Toyota created a mild hybrid system to resist water crossings, using strengthened components and a waterproofing architecture. This features a high-strength ribbed belt to reduce friction loss when immersed, as well as strategically positioned mild hybrid components throughout the cabin.
According to the Japanese automaker, vehicles fitted with this technology can endure water depths of up to 700 mm, making it especially ideal for rugged vehicles such as the Hilux, Land Cruiser Prado, and Fortuner. Toyota differentiates this mild hybrid system from the Toyota Hybrid System II (THS II), which has two motor-generators and a power split device. The mild hybrid setup’s compact and lightweight design enables for easy integration into existing powertrains.
On the other hand, the Toyota Hilux offered in India is powered by a 2.8-litre turbocharged diesel engine that produces 201 bhp and 420 Nm with the manual gearbox and 500 Nm with automatic transmission. It was launched in March, this year.
The Hilux is available in two trim levels: STD and High. The STD variant only has a manual gearbox option, but the High variant has both a manual and an automatic transmission. The Hilux also comes standard with 4×4 and a low-range transmission in all models. The vehicle’s price starts from Rs 30.40 lakh and goes up to Rs 37.9 lakh (both prices are ex-showroom).
