Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and Hino Trucks have agreed to develop jointly a Class 8 fuel cell electric truck (FCET) for the North American market. Hino Trucks, a Toyota Group Company, assembles, sells, and services a lineup of Class 4-8 diesel commercial trucks in the United States.

The companies will leverage the newly developed Hino XL Series chassis with Toyota’s proven fuel cell technology. This collaboration expands upon the existing effort to develop a 25-ton FCET for the Japanese market which was announced earlier this year. The initial demonstration vehicle is expected to arrive in the first half of 2021.

A fuel-cell-powered version of the Hino XL Series is a win-win for both customers and the community. It will be quiet, smooth and powerful while emitting nothing but water. Toyota’s twenty plus years of fuel cell technology combined with Hino’s heavy-duty truck experience will create an innovative and capable product.

—Tak Yokoo, senior executive engineer, Toyota Research and Development