Toyota and Scania have announced a partnership to develop hydrogen fuel cell systems in heavy-duty vehicles, with the first example to begin operating early next year.
As part of the collaboration, Toyota will supply fuel cell systems for 40 HGVs in Scania’s Pilot Partner programme, which will gather information on technical performance, operational efficiency and total cost of ownership
The project brings Scania together with selected customers to evaluate a wide range of sustainable transport technologies, including the hydrogen fuel cell system, under real operating conditions.
These vehicles will be equipped with Toyota’s latest, third-generation fuel cell system, which delivers 300kW of power in a compact design.
Hiroki Nakajima, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Corporation, said, “We believe heavy-duty transport is key to building hydrogen demand and infrastructure.
“Furthermore, we believe hydrogen is the right solution for demanding heavy-duty applications, where long range, high utilisation and operational efficiency are essential.
“By bringing Toyota’s third-generation fuel cell system into Scania customers’ logistics operations, we are taking an important step together towards enabling hydrogen-powered mobility to play a larger role across Europe’s heavy-duty transport industry.”
Sara Forsberg, Chief Technology Officer, Scania, said, “We are pleased to partner with Toyota to explore how fuel cell technology performs in demanding real-world transport operations.
“Through our Pilot Partner programme, we work with selected customers to test new technologies in actual use cases, learn from their experience and develop our solutions further.
“This collaboration will give us valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges associated with hydrogen fuel cell technology in heavy-duty transport.”
