Toyota's Shift Towards Hydrogen for Industrial Applications
Key Ideas
- Toyota unveils its third generation fuel cell system tailored for industrial use, signaling a shift towards hydrogen for heavy-duty applications.
- The new hydrogen cell is more fuel-efficient, cheaper to produce, and outputs twice as much power as its predecessor, while maintaining the same size.
- While Toyota struggled to promote hydrogen for consumer cars, the company sees a strong future for fuel cells in heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks, construction vehicles, trains, and ships.
- The focus on durability and power output in the new cell highlights the potential of hydrogen as a viable alternative to traditional diesel engines for specific commercial needs.
For the past decade, Toyota has championed hydrogen as the future of transportation, but with the recent unveiling of its third-generation fuel cell system, the company seems to be shifting its focus towards industrial applications. This move is seen as a tacit admission of defeat in the battle between hydrogen and electric cars. The new fuel cell system is specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of the commercial sector, with a strong emphasis on durability comparable to diesel engines. Notably, the latest cell is more fuel-efficient, cost-effective to manufacture, and offers double the power output while maintaining the same size as its predecessor.
While Toyota has struggled to make a compelling case for hydrogen-powered consumer vehicles, such as the Mirai which has seen limited sales since its launch in 2014, the company sees a brighter future for hydrogen in heavy-duty applications. The inherent flaws of hydrogen, which hinder its adoption in mainstream consumer vehicles due to infrastructure limitations, are now viewed as advantages for industrial use. Heavy-duty vehicles like trucks, construction vehicles, trains, and ships, along with backup generators, are considered ideal candidates for fuel cell technology. Toyota's strategic shift towards hydrogen for industrial applications highlights the potential of this technology to offer a competitive alternative to traditional diesel engines in specific commercial sectors.