Toyota is expanding hydrogen plans
Toyota is positioning itself broadly for the energy transition. In addition to battery and hybrid technology, the Japanese are also driving the issue of hydrogen. The next generation of fuel cells is already on the way.
Toyota bundles its own competencies in the field of hydrogen and founds the Hydrogen Factory for this purpose. Direct decisions should be made quickly and easily under one management in order to react to the rapid developments on the market. From sales to development to production, everything will then run within one organization in the future.
The so-called hydrogen factory should not only be active in Japan. Within the main hydrogen markets of Europe, China and North America, Toyota wants to set up local bases that will drive research, development and production. In addition, alliances with existing partners are to be strengthened in order to ultimately be able to supply affordable fuel cells. According to Toyota technical director Hiroki Nakajima, this can only be achieved with higher quantities. Toyota is already selling the fuel cell of the Mirai to external customers in two performance classes. Thanks to the iX5 Hydrogen, BMW is also one of the buyers.
competitiveness and technology
Toyota sees the further development of new technologies as the third important goal of the internal realignment. By this the Japanese mean fuel cells of the next few years, which also rely on new cell technologies. Nakajima is already talking about a cost reduction of 37 percent for the next generation. Compared to batteries, hydrogen fuel cells are still very expensive. Toyota wants to produce around 200,000 of these by 2030 in order to cut costs by half.
Potential customers for the technology are not only their own vehicles, but above all light and heavy commercial vehicles from other manufacturers. Toyota has already announced a new variant of the fuel cell for 2026, which is more durable and cheaper to maintain than comparably powerful diesel engines. Commercial vehicles could even drive 20 percent further with such a very economical fuel cell than with a current version.
Different storage tanks
For commercial vehicles, there should also be large, standardized tanks that could be produced a quarter cheaper than today's versions. The key lies in a uniform standard for the various markets in North America, Europe and Asia.
The Japanese have also written small, modular tank systems into the specifications, which should fit into any type of automobile. This should make it possible to convert conventional vehicles into hydrogen combustion cars or fuel cell vehicles.
production of hydrogen
Recently, Toyota has also written the issue of hydrogen production on the agenda. The Japanese have already developed new electrolyzers that use electricity to produce high-purity hydrogen from water. However, hydrogen can also be obtained from biogas. To this end, Toyota launched an initiative in Thailand that uses hydrogen from chicken manure and leftover food.
This hydrogen does not necessarily have to be converted into electricity in a fuel cell. After all, it can also be burned CO2-neutrally in a combustion engine - as the prototype Corolla Cross H2 showed (see gallery). Although this is less efficient, it also offers advantages due to the simpler and less susceptible technology - especially where the fuel cell is not an alternative. Starting in the summer, the development of hydrogen internal combustion engines will also be managed under the umbrella of Toyota's new Hydrogen Factory. And it has no lesser goal than a carbon-neutral future.
CONCLUSION
Toyota bundles its own competencies in the field of hydrogen and founds the Hydrogen Factory for this purpose. Direct decisions should be made quickly and easily under one management in order to react to the rapid developments on the hydrogen market. From sales to development to production will then run in the future all within one organization. The next generation of fuel cells is already on the way. It should be cheaper, last longer and also be used in third-party products.
