Automotive supplier Ricardo is working alongside Toyota and the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) to develop a hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicle and to build a prototype in the UK.

The Toyota Hilux hydrogen variant will be manufactured and assembled at Toyota’s Derby-based facility and is scheduled for prototype production in 2023. Toyota chose Ricardo due to its expertise in hydrogen fuel cell integration, including for a UK hydrogen transport hub.

Ricardo’s role in the project is to integrate the hydrogen fuel cell, fuel storage system, and controls including design, analysis and validation. Ricardo says it will deliver a turnkey solution for Toyota to help it establish a UK supply base and to quickly establish low-volume manufacturing.

“Ricardo is world-renowned for its innovation [and] R&D capabilities, and is a trusted engineering partner to businesses operating in the global automotive [sector],” said Adrian Schaffer, President of Emerging Mobility, Automotive and Industrial at Ricardo. “Our engineering expertise and experience in hydrogen fuel technology and its integration into a variety of applications across several sectors, including light commercial vehicles, is supporting our growth in this industry.”

“The development and manufacture of hydrogen-related technologies is paramount to this sector’s drive towards zero emissions,” said Richard Kenworthy, Managing Director, Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK). “Working alongside Ricardo will allow us to shorten the development time towards the integration of this technology in this vehicle segment.”

Source: Ricardo