Toyota, a Japanese multinational automaker, formed a partnership and secured £11.6m from the UK government funding from the Advanced Propulsion Center (APC) to produce the hydrogen-electric version of its Hilux pick-up truck.
Through Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK, the Japanese firm formed a group with four other British companies namely Ricardo, ETL, D2H and Thatcam Research to start the project. The Hilux will take components from the hydrogen fuel cell powertrain feautered on the Toyota Mirai, specifically adapted for the pick-up
The project is being led by Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) with technical support from Toyota Motor Europe (TME) to “enable UK-based teams to build their own expertise and self-sufficiency to develop next-generation hydrogen drivetrain capabilities.” Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) is in charge of the project, and Toyota Motor Europe (TME) is providing technical support. The goal of the project is to “enable UK-based teams to build their own expertise and independence to develop next-generation hydrogen drivetrain capabilities.”
According to a press release from Toyota, Ricardo is a consulting firm that will “support the technical integration of the fuel cell components into the Hilux chassis.” ETL will bring its thermal management solutions to the project, and D2H will bring its thermodynamic knowledge. Lastly, Thatcham Research will help with crash safety and insurance ratings.
Eventually, if the project is a success, it will move to small series production.
