Toyota and Nikola fueling station spinoff Hyroad have announced that they’re joining farces forces to scale hydrogen-powered transportation with integrated fueling, vehicles, and logistics support throughout Southern California.
Toyota Motor North America and Hyroad Energy are partnering to deploy 40 new hydrogen fuel cell Class 8 trucks in Southern California in a bid to advance zero-emission freight and offer more clean trucking solutions to its customers.
“Accelerating the hydrogen economy requires collaboration, and Toyota is proud to work with Hyroad to move the heavy-duty sector forward,” explains Jason Zahorik, general manager, Toyota Hydrogen Solutions. “By bringing the critical elements together, we’re demonstrating how fuel cells create tangible value across supply chains while advancing a foundational pillar of the hydrogen economy. With hydrogen, we share a vision for cleaner, more powerful and more energy independent mobility.”
The collaboration was announced earlier today at the ACT Expo in Las Vegas, where a Hyroad fueled and wrapped truck is featured at Toyota’s ACT Expo exhibit space.
Under the new agreement, Hyroad will supply Toyota with access to the 117 hydrogen-powered Class 8 semi trucks it acquired at the Nikola bankruptcy auction, along with the associated maintenance, telematics, and software services necessary to support Toyota’s hydrogen logistics network.
“Toyota has done exactly what great allies do,” explains Dmitry Serov, founder and CEO of Hyroad Energy. “They’ve brought genuine hydrogen expertise to the table and made thoughtful, strategic decisions. They’re not waiting for someone else to build this ecosystem. They’re investing in it directly, and that’s what makes this meaningful. When fueling, vehicles, software and operational commitment all come together, hydrogen trucking works.”
Toyota’s official release claims the hydrogen semi can refuel in about the same time as a diesel semi-truck, adding some 500 miles of range in about 15-20 minutes.
Electrek’s Take
You have to wonder why this Toyota + Hyroad deal is happening at all. Not only is hydrogen perpetually two years away, but by the time those two years pass, electric will be so much further ahead than it is today that the supposed 15 minute fill time of hydrogen (which is a problematic claim, anyway) will actually be slower than a lot of the extra- super- lightning-fast charging tech coming out of China.
Paired with lighter, more energy-dense solid state batteries and ever more efficient electric motors, and you have to wonder if hydrogen poses any benefit at all over battery electric – even if you buy into all the claims of the most die-hard hydrogen fans.
To me, the best explanation comes in this line of the press release:
For Toyota, this is one piece of a much larger hydrogen commitment that spans more than 30 years of experience in fuel cell development. The company is investing significantly in the hydrogen value chain, including fuel cell development and refueling infrastructure, and sees commercial trucking as a critical proving ground for that ecosystem at scale.
If someone asked me (and, I know you didn’t), I would say that this is happening because no one at Toyota is ready to admit defeat, and own up to the fact that they’ve wasted three decades of R&D money on a future that will never come to pass.
Top comment by Dan B
Really? Hydrogen again?
Will they never admit defeat (it's Toyota and the Japanese, so no)? I agree with the article. By the time this makes it to market (if it actually does), the EV semi's will be that much farther ahead.
Expect similar consolidation releases from the other big Class 8 players in the days and months ahead as “two years away” starts to become far too far into the future.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Toyota.
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