Hydrogen-fuelled Land Cruiser? Toyota says it's a possibility

Toyota has acknowledged it’s imaginable that its most trendy hydrogen-fuelled inner combustion engine tech would possibly perchance perchance salvage its contrivance into vehicles such because the oldschool Toyota Land Cruiser four-wheel pressure.

The comments come off the support of the open of the logo’s first ever hydrogen-fuelled Hiace van prototype, which already shares its heart with in a single more nation variants of the Land Cruiser 300 within the make of a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6.

Asked whether or now not the powertrain featured within the Hiace prototype would possibly perchance perchance salvage its contrivance into vehicles adore the Land Cruiser and Hilux ute, Toyota global’s hydrogen manufacturing unit president Mitsumasa Yamagata acknowledged: “sure, there are potentialities to adapt (the abilities) into these vehicles including Land Cruiser.”

Talking to media through a translator on the open of the Hiace prototype, Yamagata pointed to the “profit of the abilities (which) would possibly perchance perchance just furthermore be utilised for these vehicles including excessive towing and excessive loading.”

He then went on to verify that Toyota has started a “look” on the usage of the abilities in other vehicles, including Land Cruiser – nonetheless, the logo is aloof “studying which abilities will be appropriate for which car”.

Against the vogue of many other carmakers Toyota has solid a diversified “multi-pathway” components to decarbonisation, a particularly complex prospect for non-metropolis centered vehicles adore the Land Cruiser which quiz excessive off-avenue, towing and prolonged-vary functionality.

Hydrogen Land Cruiser: imaginable nonetheless now not entirely straightforward

The engine chanced on in in a single more nation variants of the Land Cruiser 300 – and furthermore available locally within the Lexus LX600 – has undergone minimal alterations to salvage its contrivance into the Hiace hydrogen prototype. Particularly, there hold been changes to its injectors that allow it to flee on compressed hydrogen gas as a change of petrol.

Then over again, it isn’t as easy as merely slotting the hydrogen-fuelled engine accurate into a car adore the Land Cruiser.

President and CEO of Toyota Australia Matthew Callachor acknowledged “that type of thing is a huge step in its private appropriate.”

“It’s one in every of the potentialities, nonetheless it aloof clearly requires major engineering as successfully,” he added, referencing concerns adore how one can attach hydrogen gas cells inner an fresh framework.

With the Hiace prototype vary sitting at correct below 200km, Toyota has furthermore acknowledged that major work would aloof need to be accomplished to boost vary for the abilities – potentially through bigger hydrogen tanks or the adoption of hybrid abilities.

Why did Toyota prototype Hiace as a change of Land Cruiser?

Asked about why the Hiace became as soon as chosen because the first car to characteristic the fresh powertrain abilities, Yamagata acknowledged that this came accurate down to extra seamless packaging alternatives.

Speaking of the “many reasons” for why the Hiace became as soon as chosen, Yamagata acknowledged “the first reason is that after it involves (the) hydrogen tanks layout, it became as soon as appropriate.”

The flexibleness of the Hiace – which failed to must endure any compromises to its exterior styling or interior packaging – apart from its commercial usage transporting heavy hundreds sealed the deal for it to be the first cab off the ghastly.

This acknowledged, Toyota has been particular about its ambitions to lengthen application of the tech beyond the Hiace.

Callachor acknowledged: “the goal of this (buyer trial program) is to enable us to continue to abet and optimise the abilities to extra boost its ability capabilities.”

Is hydrogen the resolution for a green Land Cruiser?

Toyota has been vocal about its “multi-pathway” components in opposition to emissions reduction, with the local arm of the logo equally outspoken about their witness that EVs are unable to produce what “the quiet majority” of Australians require in vehicles adore the Land Cruiser.

Toyota Australia’s vp of gross sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, spoke to Chasing Autos on the open of the Hiace prototype, spruiking what he believes are the accurate advantages of hydrogen-fuelled inner combustion for customers that require a combination of vary, towing and off-roading functionality.

Hanley spoke of the lots of “payment amortisation” that contains the usage of fresh abilities, technology, and seller bases, which enables for a sizeable payment reduction versus the lots of payment involved by engineering an electrical car that would possibly perchance perchance equal the vary, towing, and off-avenue functionality of the present Land Cruiser.

While it spruiks what it believes are key advantages of hydrogen-energy, the logo is agency on its various components to powertrain tech, only within the near previous pulling the covers off a idea previewing a deliberate electrical Land Cruiser, seemingly to sit alongside the fresh inner combustion version.

The tag is furthermore agency on continuing to manufacture hydrogen gas cell electrical vehicles (FCEV) adore the Mirai sedan, and up to date FCEV Hilux ute prototype.

In the interim, Toyota will originate its precise-world buyer testing of the Hiace prototype this month because the van enters the following fragment of its construction.