Toyota to Build Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck

Toyota plans to launch the first hydrogen fuel cell truck on the market. This truck will utilize two fuel cell units, a system previously used in Toyota's fuel cell passenger car, the Toyota Mirai. The truck's fuel cell batteries have a capacity of 12 kilowatt-hours. In this product, the fuel cell units provide the necessary electricity for the truck's 670 horsepower electric motor, which has a torque of 1800 Newton meters. With this power and torque, the truck can transport 36 tons of cargo. With each hydrogen refueling, this truck can travel 320 kilometers. High-pressure tanks for storing hydrogen are installed in this truck. These tanks feed the hydrogen to the fuel cells, which charge the nickel-metal hybrid batteries. These batteries provide the energy needed for the 670 horsepower electric motor. In this truck, hydrogen moves towards the fuel cell unit, where it mixes with oxygen from the air, resulting in the production of water and electricity. The electricity is used by the electric motor to drive the truck, and water is expelled from the truck's exhaust. When pressing the gas pedal while idling, if you hold a cup in front of the exhaust, it will fill with water after a while. Hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements in nature. Burning hydrogen produces only water; however, there are many practical challenges in using hydrogen fuel. The most significant issue relates to hydrogen production and storage. The most common methods for producing hydrogen involve extracting it from water or fossil fuels like natural gas. The challenge lies in storing hydrogen. Hydrogen boils at negative 252 degrees Celsius at sea level pressure. Therefore, liquefying hydrogen is very complex and costly; compression also requires very sophisticated technology. One practical method is storing hydrogen via hydrides. This method holds great promise for future automotive applications. If Toyota's fuel cell truck succeeds, it could revolutionize the road transport industry in the near future, replacing polluting diesel trucks with a completely clean product on the roads. But what distinguishes fuel cell vehicles from electric vehicles, making future vehicles more inclined towards fuel cells? Both methods ultimately drive the vehicle via an electric motor. The key point is the faster refueling or charging time in fuel cell vehicles. With current technology, these vehicles can be refueled in 5 minutes, while this time is significantly longer for electric vehicles. Another very important point is the cleaner nature of fuel cell vehicles. The electricity supplied for electric vehicles may come from fossil methods, ultimately harming the environment by producing greenhouse gases like current vehicles, while the electricity for fuel cell vehicles is generated from the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. In addition to the fuel cell truck, Toyota also has plans to introduce fuel cell buses. This bus has 10 high-pressure tanks for storing 600 liters of hydrogen at 700 bar pressure. These tanks feed the hydrogen to the fuel cells, which charge the nickel-metal hybrid batteries. These batteries provide the energy needed for two electric motors, which together produce 300 horsepower and reach a torque of 670 Newton meters. This bus, in addition to urban transport uses, can generate 235 kilowatt-hours of electricity for powering rescue equipment during natural disasters. This urban fuel cell bus can carry about 70 passengers and utilizes two solid polymer fuel cell units with a total power of 300 horsepower. Approximately 100 of these buses are expected to enter Tokyo's transport system by 2020. This bus has been developed by Hino, a subsidiary of Toyota. Toyota is the first company to successfully mass-produce a fuel cell passenger vehicle. The Toyota Mirai, which uses hydrogen fuel, was introduced in 2015. This vehicle can travel 502 kilometers on a full hydrogen tank. The electric motor of this vehicle has a power of 152 horsepower. In this vehicle, hydrogen stored in tanks at 70 megapascals (700 times atmospheric pressure) moves towards the fuel cell unit, where it mixes with oxygen from the air, resulting in the production of water and electricity. The electricity is used by the electric motor to drive the vehicle, and water is expelled from the vehicle's exhaust. When pressing the gas pedal while idling, if you hold a cup in front of the exhaust, it will fill with water after a while. The acceleration from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour for this vehicle is 9 seconds, and its price is $60,000.