TOYOTA REVEALS PROTOTYPE HYDROGEN HILUX


The prototype features a powertrain based on that of the second-generation version of Toyota’s Mirai hydrogen car. Three high-pressure fuel tanks, mounted under the floor of the truck, give the prototype an expected range of 365 miles between fill-ups.


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Electricity generated by the fuel cell – which is placed under the bonnet where the engine of a diesel Hilux would be – is stored in a hybrid battery positioned at the front of the Hilux’s load deck, before being fed to the drivetrain. The only exhaust product from the powertrain is water. The prototype is rear-wheel drive –


Toyota says the packaging is too tight to allow an all-wheel drive version currently, but that this is a future target.


The prototype has been developed at


Toyota’s UK facility in Burnaston, Derbyshire, together with a consortium including Ricardo, ETL, D2H Advanced Technologies and Thatcham Research. Funding was subsequently gained from the government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre, a non-profit organisation supporting the development of cleaner technologies and new mobility concepts. Toyota is planning to build 10 examples of the prototype by the end of this year, which will undergo real-world testing with UK-based customers.


The manufacturer says its testing will ensure the standards needed for a production model are met, however, it has


oyota has unveiled a prototype of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered version of its Hilux pick-up truck.


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At a glance


not given any indication about if and when a production version will arrive. Speaking at the unveiling of the


prototype, Toyota Motor Europe senior vice-president Gerald Killmann said the automotive industry should adopt a flexible approach towards decarbonisation technology. He said: “On our way towards carbon


neutrality, hydrogen will play an increasingly important role. Nevertheless, in parallel, we need to decarbonise more and more all of the energy sources for mobility. “Each of these technologies has different strengths and thus different use cases. Battery electric vehicle is useful in consumers’ daily trips, fuel cell has its strength especially in long distance or heavy load areas like trucks, or [for] a 24-hour user like taxis or buses. “In the future, we do see that these areas of BEV and fuel cell EV will actually converge and be overlapping each other. “[The] Hilux is a heavy-load vehicle and thus very good as a starting point, and really


suitable for fuel cell technology, hence the initiative with this prototype.” Also speaking at the unveiling, Toyota GB president and managing director Agustin Martin called for more government support for hydrogen. He said: “[Hydrogen] is still a nascent technology and to realise the benefits appropriate investment and encouragement are required. It is therefore essential that a national, long-term, cross- sector strategy and guaranteed delivery plan are in place to give confidence to investors and consumers alike. “To compete, hydrogen must be at the same competitive advantage as any other alternative zero-emissions technology being promoted. For the automotive sector in particular, a national programme to ensure sufficient hydrogen supply and refuelling infrastructure is critical. “Additionally, in this development phase, it is also essential to ensure a financial support mechanism to encourage customer demand as well as vehicle production and component supply chain.”


HYDROGEN VAN TRIAL RIVUS COMPLETES First Hydrogen. F


The vehicle covered 742 miles and achieved a range of 323 miles from a 90% hydrogen tank load, more than the range currently possible from battery electric vans.


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leet management company Rivus has trialled a hydrogen fuel cell van from manufacturer


The hydrogen van was also found not to be heavily affected by speed or payload, again in contrast to battery EVs. However, the high cost of hydrogen meant an average cost-per-mile of £0.31, more expensive than fuelling a diesel van or a BEV. However, citing predictions that the cost of hydrogen will at least half by the end of the decade,


a report about the trial estimated this situation would reverse in future. Rivus warranty controller Gemma


Horne said: “The main benefit of the First Hydrogen vehicle is refuelling times are quicker than battery EV charge times. And, unlike internal combustion engines, hydrogen vehicles produce zero emissions.”


A third of UK van drivers have injured themselves at least once while loading their van in the past year, according to research commissioned by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. It said 48% of those injured had to take more than one day off work at a time, while 34% took more than a week off. With an average downtime cost of £500 per person per day, VW said this added up to £3.7 billion annually.


Highway services company Ringway Jacobs has introduced technology from Peoplesafe and SureCam to protect vulnerable lone workers in its highway inspection team. It has introduced a video-enabled lone worker service, which integrates the Peoplesafe Pro smartphone app with SureCam’s video telematics platform, into its fleet of 163 vans and specialist vehicles.


Renault has announced spec updates for its vans with no corresponding increase in prices. Upgrades include safety systems, with all versions of the Kangoo, Trafic, and Trafic Passenger now coming with active emergency braking, lane departure warning, driver attention alert and tyre pressure monitoring as standard. Vans with the Extra trim level now feature a hands-free key card and automatic high beam assist as standard equipment.


Utilities company PN Daly is rolling out AI dashcams from Inseego across its 250-strong van fleet. The cameras use machine vision with AI to detect and help drivers self-correct dangerous or distracted behaviour, using road and driver-facing footage. PN Daly’s drivers will be alerted to any high-risk actions when behind the wheel, while head office and local managers will have access to footage and data of collisions, near misses and other driving events.


A London-based van hire business is expanding its fleet following a £3.5m asset finance facility from HSBC UK. Pace Van Hire has used the funding to equip its new Eltham site with vans for hire and expand its existing fleets across its New Cross and Croydon branches. The company’s fleet currently consists of 220 vehicles, an increase of 40 vans since the launch of the Eltham site in February, and this number is planned to increase to 300 by next year.


September 2023 WhatVan? 5


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