Toyota is the first OEM tackling putting a fuel cell into a big semi truck
Diesel burning we are told are seriously damaging air quality, and we don’t foresee a near future where we no longer need them. So one solution would be to keep them in the current format but change their power supply for something green like a fuel cell system.
That’s what Toyota is doing with what it calls Project Portal – it’s applying what it’s learnt developing the Mirai fuel cell production vehicle for this larger scale (and longer range) application.
So far technical data is kept under a lid, but it’s already looking pretty enticing. It does not eliminate tailpipe emissions, but as the video shows, it’s also considerably faster than the diesel equivalent.
It still needs to undergo a lot of feasibility testing, but so far it’s looking promising.