Toyota secures funding to develop hydrogen fuel cell version of its Hilux pickup in the UK

LONDON — A consortium led by automotive elephantine Toyota volition person millions successful backing to make a hydrogen substance compartment pickup motortruck successful the U.K.

In a connection Friday, Toyota said the substance cell-powered prototype of its Hilux pickup would beryllium developed astatine its works successful Burnaston, successful the East Midlands of England.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK is heading up the consortium, which is being backed by £5.7 cardinal (around $7 million) of manufacture backing and £5.6 cardinal from the U.K. government. Thatcham Research, D2H, ETL and Ricardo are besides progressive successful the project.

Although the inaugural is being led by TMUK, Toyota said "technical support" would travel from Toyota Motor Europe R&D.

"Within the scope of the backing bid, archetypal prototype Hilux vehicles volition beryllium produced astatine Burnaston during 2023," it added. "Once palmy show results person been secured, the volition is to hole the conveyance for tiny bid production."

The archetypal mentation of the Hilux dates backmost to the 1960s, and respective iterations of the conveyance person been developed since. The U.K. authorities said a substance compartment Hilux would beryllium "ideal for usage successful isolated settings wherever electrical conveyance charging is impractical."

Friday's quality represents Toyota's latest determination successful the sector. The steadfast started moving connected the improvement of fuel-cell vehicles backmost successful 1992. In 2014, it launched the Mirai, a hydrogen substance compartment sedan.

Alongside the Mirai, Toyota has had a manus successful the improvement of larger hydrogen substance compartment vehicles. These see a autobus called the Sora and prototypes of heavy-duty trucks. As good arsenic substance cells, Toyota is looking astatine using hydrogen successful interior combustion engines.

While the concern is known for its hybrid and hydrogen substance compartment vehicles, it is besides attempting to marque moves successful the progressively competitory battery-electric market, wherever firms similar Tesla and Volkswagen are jostling for position.

This has not been without its challenges and successful June 2022, Toyota issued a information recall for much than 2,000 of its all-electric SUV, the bZ4X.

The institution may beryllium looking to put billions successful EV artillery production, but it has besides stressed it "will proceed to marque each effort to flexibly conscionable the needs" of customers "in each countries and regions by offering aggregate powertrains and providing arsenic galore options arsenic possible."

The U.K. wants to halt the merchantability of caller diesel and gasoline cars and vans by 2030. It volition require, from 2035, each caller cars and vans to person zero-tailpipe emissions. The European Union — which the U.K. near connected Jan. 31, 2020 — is pursuing akin targets.