This one-of-a-kind Toyota Tundra has a very special party trick in its load bed – a self-contained kitchen capable of serving up piping hot pizzas.
The truck, named the Tundra PIE Pro, appeared on Toyota’s display at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show in Las Vegas, USA.
How Toyota made the Tundra PIE Pro
The Tundra PIE Pro was built by Toyota’s Motorsports Technical Center (MTCI). The project included cooperation from Pizza Hut and engineering company Nachi Robotic Systems.
A road-going Tundra SR5 was torn down to a bare rolling chassis and then reassembled from the ground up. The conventional petrol-powered drivetrain was removed and replaced with a hydrogen fuel-cell electric power unit adapted from the Toyota Mirai.
The Tundra’s bed was converted into a virtual pizza factory on wheels or, as MTCI calls it, The Kitchen.
Totally self-contained, The Kitchen comprises a refrigerator, a pair of computer-guided articulating robotic arms and a portable, high-efficiency conveyor oven. All of the components can be powered by the hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain.
How does the Tundra PIE Pro work?
From start to finish, the pizza-making process takes between six and seven minutes. When the process begins, the first robotic arm opens the refrigerator and removes the selected pizza. It places the pizza on the oven conveyor and returns to close the refrigerator door.
The pizza is then conveyed through a high-speed ventless oven. On the far side, a second robotic arm removes the finished pizza and places it on the cutting board. It then divides it into six identical slices, boxes it up, and delivers it to the customer awaiting on the side of the Tundra.
The Tundra PIE Pro’s environmental impact is virtually nil, the only by-products being water vapour emissions and delicious Pizza Hut pizza.
“As the flagship Toyota truck, the Tundra is a workhorse in the truest sense,” said Ed Laukes, Group Vice President, Toyota Division Marketing.
“Its great strengths are its extreme capability and eminent versatility, and what better way to illustrate that than by turning it into something completely unique – a hydrogen fuel cell electric-powered, pizza-making robotic vehicle!”
Who made the Toyota Tundra PIE Pro?
Build partner: Pizza Hut
Lead builder: Marty Schwerter
Mechanic/fabricators: Rich Garver, Brad Vetter
Engineering: Jamie Wells Engineering
CNC machining: Scarbo Performance
Powertrain: Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), permanent magnet AC synchronous
electric motor, sealed nickel-metal hydride (NI-MH) w/ 34 cell modules
Suspension: TRD custom
Wheels: 2019 TRD Pro
Tyres: BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3
Robots: Nachi Robotics Systems MZ07 CFD, MZ07L CFD six-axis articulating arms
Robot tools: Schunk MPG series 24V DC grippers
Oven: TurboChef HHC 1618 high-speed conveyor
Paint/bodywork: George Lowe/Danny Acosta, Envisage Design
Interior: Red and black Alcantara by Midnight Customs
The Tundra was just one of the stand-out modified cars shown by Toyota at SEMA. Click here to enjoy some of the other highlights.
And the Tundra PIE Pro isn’t the first food-inspired Toyota vehicle. Check out this Tundra with a built-in barbecue grille.
I’m coming back to the RAV4, and I’m asking is this one of the worst launches of a car, with it now being May for Delivery. Toyota PR announce quarter one, and for those of us prepared to wait, now comes as a, “NO NO”,one what Retailer can say what the trade in would be, and two a Six MONTH delay, disgusting
Hi Les,
Thanks for getting in touch. We are sorry to hear that you feel this way. We have not experienced any delays with the launch and can confirm that for 2WD, delivery is in April, with 4WD in May due to the production being later.
To receive any further updates on the RAV4, please register your details using the following link: https://www.toyota.co.uk/new-cars/rav4/rav4-2019#/iframe/https%3A%2F%2Fforms.toyota.co.uk%2Fsign-up-Rav4.
Thanks