Hydrogen Hilux: British-built prototypes reach final development phase

The debut of our fully functioning hydrogen Hilux prototype in September 2023 demonstrated the breadth of technologies Toyota is applying in its progress towards carbon-free mobility. Now we are delighted to report that this ground-breaking project has moved into its final phase of development.

Ten fuel cell Hilux prototypes have been built at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) facility in Burnaston, Derbyshire. Five will undergo rigorous field testing to assess safety, performance, functionality and durability, generating test drive data in real-world situations. The other five are destined for customer and media demonstrations, including at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024.

Know-how gained from the Hilux project will combine with Toyota’s 30 years of hydrogen fuel cell development and contribute to the next generation of fuel cell technology.

Hydrogen Hilux: vehicle profile

The hydrogen Hilux showcases how fuel cell technology can be integrated into a pick-up. Externally, it is the same size as a regular Hilux with an extra cab body. But beneath the surface, the chassis integrates core elements from the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric saloon – technology that has proved its quality in almost ten years of commercial production.

Hydrogen is stored in three high-pressure fuel tanks mounted within the vehicle’s ladder frame chassis. Each tank contains 2.6kg of liquid hydrogen to give a total capacity of 7.8kg, which is enough to offer an expected driving range of up to 373 miles. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack contains 330 cells and is mounted above the front axle. A lithium-ion battery in the rear load deck stores the electricity produced by the fuel cell, which in turn powers a 134kW (180bhp) and 300Nm e-motor on the rear axle. When driven, the fuel cell produces no tailpipe emissions other than pure water.

Hydrogen Hilux: provisional technical specifications

Project history

The hydrogen Hilux project began in early 2022 with a feasibility study undertaken by TMUK and Toyota Motor Europe with consortium partners Ricardo, European Thermodyamics, D2H Advanced Technologies and Thatcham Research. Funding was subsequently gained from the UK government facilitated through the Advanced Propulsion Centre. Additional support was also provided by Toyota Motor Corporation.

An intense design and development programme commenced in July 2022. But it wasn’t until June 2023 that construction of the prototype actually began, with work taking place in a dedicated area within TMUK’s Burnaston facility. Using efficient Toyota Production System principles, the first vehicle was completed just three weeks later. The nine additional vehicles were built by December 2023.

What will next-generation hydrogen technology look like?

Toyota’s industry-leading research and development in hydrogen fuel cell technology led to the launch of the original Mirai in 2015. Five years later, the next-generation Mirai introduced second-generation technology, which extended the car’s driving range by 30% to around 400 miles. It is this technology that underpins the hydrogen Hilux.

However, third-generation fuel cell technology is currently under development. It represents a key element in Toyota’s plan for expanding hydrogen usage, with sales scheduled to commence in 2026-27. These units will have a higher power density and enable an expected 20% increase in vehicle driving range, while technical advances and increased production volumes could help to reduce costs by more than one third.

Research is also progressing on the potential of creating scaleable fuel cell stacks with different power outputs. Toyota engineers are also looking at making fuel tanks with shapes more complex than the existing cylinders, which will make the technology more compatible with different size vehicles.

Learn more: How do hydrogen fuel cells work?

This article, originally published in December 2022, was updated in September 2023 and June 2024 to reflect the latest project developments.