Hydrogen Hilux confirmed! Toyota to add FCEV powertrain alongside full-electric and diesel ute in 2028

Toyota will double down on its dream of hydrogen-fuelled motoring on Australian roads by along side a fuel-cell electric (FCEV) model of the contemporary-period Hilux ute in 2028.

When it arrives in three years’ time, the hydrogen Hilux is anticipated to became the third powertrain option within the lineup—alongside a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel and a fat battery electric automobile (BEV).

Nonetheless the missing hyperlink is restful a Hilux hybrid or plod-in hybrid (PHEV), with Toyota bosses sharing that the BEV and FCEV are the precedence.

With the contemporary diesel Hilux initiating sales subsequent month, and the BEV keep to hitch the diversity subsequent one year in 2026, the FCEV can be pretty late to the in discovering together.

Nonetheless Toyota executives verbalize that hydrogen refuelling infrastructure must grow sooner than the FCEV would be lawful for Australian merchants — and that fleets running the hydrogen model will need additional enhance.

“[Hydrogen] gives our instant merchants yet yet one more option of a powertrain that meets their wants and helps additional our collective decarbonisation jog,” Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley suggested media, along side Chasing Vehicles.

“We don’t question of to see [the FCEV] has a fat, upfront volume automobile…it’s some distance merely to develop our multi-pathway technique.

“The jabber for hydrogen just at as soon as might perchance be designate and infrastructure … the fully procedure we’re going to flee it’s some distance that if we reach together as car companies, vitality companies and government. Car companies are going to wish to present some commitment to production vehicles.”

Toyota for the time being gives, in a for certain puny sense, one FCEV automobile in Australia within the create of the Mirai fat sedan, which is leased to a little collection of operators proximate to the corporate’s Altona, Victoria hydrogen re-fueller.

Korean rival Hyundai has additionally supplied leases of its Nexo midsize SUV to certain fleets—in particular the Australian Capital Territory government, supported by a Hyundai-sponsored refueller shut to Canberra.

Hanley indicated that, while the Toyota Altona refueller is indeed being enlarged, it would no longer be ample to enhance the rollout of the Hilux FCEV.

As an different, Toyota is investing in cellular refueller infrastructure with the postulate that a refueller might likely well perchance just additionally be transported to a instant operator’s detestable of operations to enhance a instant of hydrogen Hilux devices.

“I will promote [the Hilux FCEV] to any individual who wants it, but I admire predominately it can likely well perchance attract instant and to mining companies,” mentioned Hanley.

“There can be [hydrogen] tanks … but we’re additionally engaged on the aptitude to be in a region to droop hydrogen. That is yet one more allotment of our investment … we’re taking a look to develop to cellular refuellers, which would be an intervening time step fully, no longer for the very lengthy time duration.”

Hanley mentioned the motive that a purchaser in quest of a 0-tailpipe emission Hilux might perchance be extra inclined to opt for FCEV over BEV became as soon as a topic of heavy-responsibility necessities.

“I don’t subscribe [to the view] that BEVs over the next 5 years will basically cling low [driving] range [but] they won’t cling diverse the towing capability for the heavy stuff… If you happen to are right doing town and freeway, I admire they’ll cling quite right range within the lengthy flee,” Hanley explained.

“The place there might be heavier work [required], I admire, in future, FCEV can be the pure development for gentle industrial vehicles.”

The Hilux BEV is anticipated to be in a region to assist 5 of us and cling same payload to the diesel model of the ute—but it for certain won’t match the 2.8-litre for range, for certain no longer when towing.

Nonetheless the jabber stopping Toyota from retailing the hydrogen Hilux to any one who wants one is essentially a purchase designate jabber.

“First and critical, we would peep mining companies and likely big building companies. For a tradie, it can be right expertise, but I’m right no longer certain in regards to the worth, which would per chance be prohibitive for deepest merchants up entrance, but no longer basically for fleets,” he mentioned.

Hanley mentioned that the motive the acquisition designate will proceed to be quite dear is because the refuelling infrastructure is never any longer there.

“We would like to figure out how we are in a position to promote this automobile. I’m no longer certain how that would per chance even see,” Hanley opined.

“We would like to present protection to our sellers through investments. They are going to cling a feature, and I imagine at final FCEVs will became mainstream vehicles in dealerships, but no longer firstly for the explanation that prices are excessive [and] the hazards of any contemporary expertise are excessive,” he mentioned.