Toyota Motor Corporation announced that it has signed an agreement with Isuzu Motors to collaborate on the development and mass production of a new light truck range powered by next-generation hydrogen fuel cell powertrain.
The new fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) will be based on Isuzu’s N-series battery-electric light truck, which was launched in 2023, and will be powered by Toyota’s newly developed third-generation fuel-cell system. Mass production of the new truck has been scheduled for the 2027 fiscal year. The two partners confirmed that they will make available technologies that will support the “high-utilisation operating conditions of commercial vehicles.”
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Toyota pointed out that light-duty trucks are typically used for local deliveries to shops and convenience stores, and are often fitted with refrigeration and frozen storage equipment, while also havin long operating hours and covering long distances. “Under such operating conditions, quick refueling is essential to ensure operational efficiency. Hydrogen, as a high-energy-density fuel, represents an effective option. Compared with battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which face long charging times, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) can significantly reduce refueling times,” the company added.
Toyota acknowledged that one of the main challenges facing the widespread adoption of FCEVs is the high initial cost. To cut costs, the automaker said it is looking to simplify fuel cell design and optimise manufacturing processes, while Isuzu also plans to simplify the truck’s body structure and design to make manufacturing processes more efficient.
Toyota said the two companies will leverage their existing technologies, expertise, and insights gained through their recent joint development of the Erga fuel cell route bus and their participation in the Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation, which it says will allow the new fuel-cell truck to adopt the latest available technologies in terms of systems design and fuel cell durability, ensuring high levels of reliability and practicality.
