Daimler Truck and Volvo Group Set up JV

Toyota

In Nov 2020, Toyota rolled out the second-generation Mirai FCEV. Built on a rear-wheel drive platform, the model’s body is lower, longer, and wider than the first-generation model, maximizing driving performance. It can drive 402 miles on a single charge, which is around 90 miles more than the first-generation, and it can hold 5.6kg of hydrogen, compared to 5.0kg for the first generation. The model can deliver 71.8 miles per kg of hydrogen, which represents a 15% improvement from the first-generation (62.4 miles per kg of hydrogen. Going forward, Toyota plans to increase its production capacity for the second-generation Mirai to 30,000 units pa.

Toyota and Hino Motors are known to have embarked on the development of a fuel cell truck based on the Hino Profia. The truck is expected to use the fuel cell technology developed for the second-generation Mirai. Hino Motors is Toyota’s subsidiary that focuses on trucks and buses and boasts the largest share of the Japanese commercial vehicle market. Toyota plans to develop the Hino Profia fuel cell truck that will use two fuel cell stacks (with a range of 600km). Fuel cell trucks show greater loading capacity than EVs.

Toyota started selling its fuel cell bus the SORA in Mar 2018. Being similar in size to conventional buses, the SORA can drive up to 200km on a single charge. The model fetches roughly JPY100mn. Unlike conventional buses that run on diesel, the SORA does not emit CO2and is equipped with a power system so that it can be used as an emergency source of electricity. Toei Transportation run by Tokyo Metroplis first introduced Toyota’s fuel cell buses, and then in Feb 2019, Keikyu introduced fuel cell buses for the first time among private bus operators.

Toyota has signed joint fuel cell investment contracts for commercial vehicles with five Chinese companies

Toyota has signed joint fuel cell investment contracts for commercial vehicles with five Chinese companies, including BAIC, FAW, SinoHytec, Dongfeng, and GAC. The Japanese firm has a subsidiary in Beijing called United Fuel Cell System R&D, in which it holds a 65% stake, with its initial investment reaching JPY5.0bn (or W55bn).

It has also joined hands with Hitachi and JR East to develop a hydrogen-electric hybrid train

The firm has also joined hands with Hitachi and JR East to develop a hydrogen-electric hybrid train. The test vehicle called HYBARI will be equipped with fuel cell stacks used for the Mirai and SORA and a hybrid drive system developed by Hitachi.

The prototype train will be produced by retrofitting a FV-E991. It will have a maximum speed of 100km/h and a range of 140km. It features three sets of the followings: four 60kW fuel cells, two 120kWh lithium-ion batteries, and five 51L storage tanks at 700 bar. The test drive for the HYBARI is slated for Mar 2022. JR East has announced plans to develop a hydrogen-electric hybrid train by the next year and put it into commercial use by 2024.

Daimler Truck and Volvo Group

Together with Volvo Group, Daimler Truck established a JV called Cellcentric in Mar 2021 to develop, produce, and sell fuel cell systems for commercial vehicles. After agreeing in Apr 2020 to set up a JV for development of fuel cell systems, the two companies have since discussed related matters. Daimler Truck now shares all of its fuel cell system technologies, workforce, and research data with the JV, and the Volvo Group took over a 50% stake in Daimler Truck Fuel Cell, the company responsible for developing fuel cell systems for Daimler Truck, at a price of EUR600mn.

Engaged in developing, producing, and commercializing fuel cell systems for use in heavy-duty trucks and for other applications, Cellcentric will be run independently down the road. Volvo Group and Daimler Truck aim to begin tests on hydrogen-powered trucks for clients within three years, and mass-produce the trucks from 2025. Cellcentric plans to present fuel cell trucks as sustainable and carbon-neutral transportation solutions by 2050.

Copyright © BusinessKorea. Prohibited from unauthorized reproduction and redistribution