Hydrogen-Powered Toyota Hilux Pick Up Truck Breaks Cover, Gets 587 km Range

The hydrogen powered version of the Toyota Hilux Pickup truck has its battery placed in the rear-end and gives a claimed range of 587 km; read on for more details.

Hydrogen Powered Toyota Hilux

Toyota Hilux powered by hydrogen fuel has been unveiled in the United Kingdom. The pick up truck has been developed as part of a government project through the Advanced Propulsion Centre. The unveiling took place at the Japanese automaker's Manufacturing UK's Burnaston car plant in Derby. This new hydrogen powered pick up truck is a prototype and will be limited numbers for performance and feasibility studies. To be specific, 10 units of the truck will be built.

The hydrogen-powered pick up truck shares its powertrain with the Toyota Mirai, an electric sedan that uses the hydrogen fuel cell technology. It is to be noted that the powertrain has been in use for around 10 years. It provides an environment friendly fuel source as the only emissions that it leaves is water.

In 2022, Toyota started developing the Hilux FCEV prototype. Ricardo, another company working on the project, was in charge of integrating the fuel cell parts into the chassis of the Hilux, while D2H Advanced Technology handled the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Thatcham Research has been developing an FCEV training program and validating repairability.

The hydrogen-powered Toyota Hilux uses high-pressure fuel tanks and has a claimed range of up to 587 km. The battery used in the vehicle is placed in the rear load deck hence providing ample space in the cabin.

A 2.8-liter turbocharged diesel engine with 201 horsepower of maximum output powers the contemporary Hilux. Depending on whether the buyer purchases a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual gearbox, the torque output is either 420 Nm or 500 Nm.

The Hilux is available in two variations in the Indian market: Standard and High. The High variation is the only one that offers the automatic transmission. The Toyota Hilux is priced between Rs. 30.40 lakh and Rs. 37.90 lakh (ex-showroom).