Toyota develops new fuel cell system for commercial sector, shipping included

February 17, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

Japanese automotive manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a new third-generation fuel cell system to meet the needs of the commercial sector, including shipping.

The system, reportedly, features improvements in performance, including fuel efficiency and a reduction in costs compared to the prior version. Its durability is up to 2x that of the prior generation and fuel efficiency 1.2x, Toyota shared, adding that cost reductions came through innovations in cell design and manufacturing processes.

In addition to passenger cars, the technology will be expanded for use in heavy-duty commercial vehicles and general-purpose applications such as ships, stationary generators and rail.

As disclosed, the system will be unveiled for the first time on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at the International Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo in Tokyo, Japan, and is planned for introduction in markets mainly in Japan, Europe, North America and China after 2026 at the earliest.

To note, Toyota views hydrogen as an important fuel in pursuit of carbon neutrality and is said to be actively collaborating with partners across various industries.

“To further accelerate the use cases and adoption of FC technology to achieve a hydrogen society, the continuous evolution of FC technology is necessary, and this 3rd Gen FC system represents a significant step-change,” the company highlighted.

it is worth mentioning that, in 2024, Toyota and compatriot Chiyoda teamed up to jointly develop a large-scale electrolysis system with an aim of achieving the government targets for the introduction of electrolysis equipment both in Japan and overseas as part of the Basic Strategy on Hydrogen.

Furthermore, Corvus Energy, a supplier of zero-emissions energy solutions for maritime, offshore and port applications, has secured an investment from Woven Capital, Toyota’s growth fund, to speed up the development of its battery storage and hydrogen fuel cells and expand its geographical footprint.