Toyota and Iveco partner to test latest fuel-cell technology

Following on from the announcement that Toyota and Scania would partner to test hydrogen fuel cell solutions for heavy-duty truck applications, the Japanese car and truck manufacturer has revealed that it will also testing the fuel cell tech with Iveco.

The partnership will be part of the Empower program, an EU-funded Horizon Europe project which will investigate zero-emission power solutions for heavy-duty transport.

For this, Toyota will provide the fuel cell system for use in Iveco’s latest fuel-cell vehicles. The Italian truck manufacturer will lead vehicle development, integration and validation of the tech.

Iveco S-eWay HD truck fitted with third-gen Toyota hydrogen fuel cell system (Photo: Toyota Motor)

Toyota has been working on development of fuel-cell systems for heavy-duty trucks for more than 30 years. The latest versions are said to represent ‘a major technological leap’ over the first-gen fuel-cell trucks deployed by Iveco as part of the H2Haul project.

A key part of this is a reduction in overall system weight. To achieve this, the fuel cell system is far less complex than previous generations, while the related battery packs are now 50% smaller.

“Hydrogen is a key enabler of the future energy and mobility ecosystem,” said Marco Liccardo, Chief Technology and Digital officer for Iveco Group. “By joining forces with Toyota through EMPOWER, we are investing in a long-term vision for heavy-duty transport, one that combines sustainability, energy resilience and operational performance.”

Fitted in the Iveco S-eWay truck, the fuel cell system will have an output of 300 kW. Range on a full load of hydrogen can reach 900 km, while the system is said to be good for 25,000 operating hours.

“For high-mileage, heavy-duty operations, hydrogen fuel cell technology offers strong potential by combining range, uptime and efficiency,” commented Shinichi Yasui, vice president of R&D, Toyota Motor Europe.

“By working together with Iveco, we aim to demonstrate how Toyota’s third-generation fuel cell system can help customers move towards zero-tailpipe emission logistics without compromising operational needs.”