- According to a statement by Toyota, the fuel cell-powered prototype of its Hilux pickup would be developed at its plant in Burnaston, in the East Midlands of England.
- Fuel cell technology involves hydrogen from a tank mixing with oxygen, producing electricity.
A consortium led by automotive giant Toyota in the U.K. will receive millions in funding to develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered pickup truck. According to a statement by Toyota, the fuel cell-powered prototype of its Hilux pickup would be set at its plant in Burnaston, in the East Midlands of England. This project is backed by £5.7 million of industry funding and £5.6 million from the U.K. government. Also, Thatcham Research, D2H, ETL and Ricardo are involved in the project, and “technical support” would come from Toyota Motor Europe R&D.
U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center notes, “Fuel cell electric vehicles emit only water vapour and warm air, producing no tailpipe emissions.” Fuel cell technology involves hydrogen from a tank mixing with oxygen, producing electricity. Also, Toyota started working on the development of fuel-cell vehicles back in 1992. Then, in 2014, it launched the Mirai, a hydrogen fuel cell sedan.
In a statement from Toyota, “Within the scope of the funding bid, initial prototype Hilux vehicles will be produced at Burnaston in 2023. Once successful performance results have been secured, the intention is to prepare the vehicle for small series production.” The Managing Director Richard Kenworthy said in a statement announcing the fund, “The opportunity that this funding enables is significant and goes toward developing the technical capabilities not only of our employees here at our site in Burnaston in the East Midlands but also of those within the wider consortium partners. This region is heavily committed to supporting zero emissions mobility, and we see this project as a great opportunity to contribute to the critical path to carbon zero mobility.”