British consortium working on hydrogen Hilux project

A consortium of British engineering and industry bodies is developing a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell-powered version of the Toyota Hilux.

Led by Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd (TMUK) and funded by the UK Government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), the project will develop the technologies to integrate the second-generation fuel cell components from the Toyota Mirai within an electrically-propelled Hilux.

The consortium comprises engineering consultancy Ricardo, European Thermodynamics Ltd (ETL), Thatcham Research and D2H Advanced Technologies.

Scheduled to run for two years, the project will see prototype vehicles built at TMUK’s Burnaston site in 2023 with small series production a consideration. The project represents an opportunity to support the decarbonisation of the transport sector in a hard-to-electrify segment.

“The UK’s fast-approaching 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered vehicles includes pickups, and that has implications for the off-highway, construction, and utilities sectors that depend on these workhorses,” D2H project senior engineer Adam Evans says “Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell technology, as proven in the Mirai, provides one possible solution to the challenge of keeping these industries on the move in environments where battery-electric powertrains often prove impractical