Collaborations and Large-Scale Manufacturing - Utilizing Mass Production to Boost Transportation Wealth
In a bid to address the challenges of cost and capacity in hydrogen trucks, Toyota is working tirelessly to improve these aspects, aiming to revolutionize the commercial vehicle market.
Toyota's collaborative efforts are not limited to hydrogen technology. The automotive giant is developing the Efficient Transport Operation Support System (E-TOSS) in partnership with retailer AEON, aiming to boost transport efficiency from warehouses to retail stores.
Toyota's collaboration with Mitsubishi Fuso, Hino, and Daimler Truck is another significant stride. This partnership leverages economies of scale by merging Mitsubishi Fuso and Hino into a single, globally competitive commercial vehicle manufacturer. This integration enables the companies to combine development, procurement, and production resources, reducing redundancies and costs while accelerating the advancement of CASE technologies (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric) and hydrogen fuel solutions.
The key benefits of this collaboration include unified R&D and technology development, consolidated procurement and production, broader market reach and synergy in logistics, and financial and operational scale. These advantages are expected to drive faster development of CASE technologies and improve logistics efficiencies critical to modern commercial vehicle markets and sustainability goals.
Toyota is also focusing on enhancing the safety performance of its Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) using data collected from vehicles equipped with third-generation Toyota Safety Sense (TSS). In addition, the company is developing hydrogen fuel cell trucks based on Hino Profia and Isuzu Elf models for on-road trials.
Commercial vehicles, despite making up only 20% of vehicles on the road, account for 40% of total mileage and half of overall CO2 emissions. Given this, it's no surprise that Toyota received outside offers for 100,000 vehicles in 2030, most of which are commercial vehicles.
To tackle the logistics issues, particularly those related to driver shortages, transport efficiency, and carbon neutrality, Toyota, Suzuki, and Daihatsu have jointly developed BEV commercial minivans with a range of 200 km and a maximum load of 350 kg. These vehicles are being developed for last mile logistics and are planned to be released by the end of this fiscal year.
Light trucks based on the Isuzu Elf use a single set of modified Mirai FC stacks and have a range of 260 km. FCEV trucks and BEV commercial minivans are being trialed during the workshop.
The hydrogen trucks equipped with FC stacks from the Mirai have a range of over 600 km from 50 kg of gaseous hydrogen. On-road trials of these hydrogen trucks are being conducted by Asahi Group Japan, Seino Transportation, NEXT Logistics Japan, and Yamato Transport.
Toyota's access to large quantities of data enables it to track three-dimensional vehicle paths in real time, reducing the frequency of map updates down to a single day. E-TOSS, already in use at AEON's Minami-Osaka distribution center, plans to expand the service to Kyushu.
The next-generation ADAS uses data to improve recognition rates and accuracy in emergency braking or steering situations. E-TOSS utilizes real-time information processing capabilities, big data, and information specific to commercial vehicles like truck driving data and traffic restrictions to optimize consolidation and identify efficient transport routes.
Mitsumasa Yamagata, president of the Hydrogen Factory, outlined his 2030 vision for rapid expansion in the fuel cell market, centered on commercial vehicles, during the workshop. Toyota's Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima is the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and spoke at a press conference to launch CJPT in 2021.
The future of sustainable logistics and advanced technology is undeniably promising with Toyota and its partners taking the lead in these innovative initiatives.
- Toyota's collaborative initiatives aren't restricted to hydrogen technology; they are also working on the Efficient Transport Operation Support System (E-TOSS) in partnership with retailer AEON, with a goal to enhance transport efficiency.
- In the realm of data-and-cloud-computing, Toyota is utilizing large quantities of data to track three-dimensional vehicle paths in real time, reducing the necessity for frequent map updates.
- Toyota's focus extends beyond hydrogen fuel solutions in the automotive industry; they are also developing the next-generation Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) to improve recognition rates and accuracy in emergency situations.
