Toyota is working with Hitachi on hydrogen train

Toyota will make the fuel cell technology it uses in its hydrogen car Mirai and hydrogen bus Sora suitable for trains. For this, the manufacturer cooperates with the East Japan Railway Company and Hitachi. The first tests will start in 2022.

The JR East railway company will design and manufacture the train, Hitachi will provide the hybrid propulsion technology, including a lithium-ion battery pack, and Toyota will provide the fuel cells . The parties call the project Hybari, which stands for ‘Hydrogen-hybrid advanced rail vehicle for innovation’. The train must reach a speed of 100 km / h and have a range of approximately 140 km. The companies plan to conduct the first tests on the Nambu Railway in Japan by March 2022.

The hydrogen train will be equipped with five hydrogen tanks and four fuel cells from Toyota, each delivering 60kW of power. Energy is stored in two 120kWh battery packs and the two wagons are powered by a total of four 95kW electric motors.

Other manufacturers have been testing with hydrogen trains for some time. In Germany, Alstom ‘s Coradia iLint trains have been in operation since 2018 . In the Netherlands, tests were carried out at the beginning of this year with the same trains in Groningen. According to OVPro, those tests were successful and diesel trains are being replaced by hydrogen trains in Groningen . These will not be part of the regular timetable until 2025 at the earliest.

Toyota Motor North America is also working with Hino USA on a hydrogen truck for the American market. The Hino XL chassis is combined with Toyota’s hydrogen technology. The companies previously worked together on an emission-free truck for the Japanese market. Technical details about the new hydrogen truck have not yet been disclosed.