Isuzu, Hino and Toyota have announced that they plan to strengthen efforts to electrify buses towards the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050.
In collaboration with Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies – which works to solve social issues through the spread of CASE technologies (Connected cars, Autonomous driving, Shared and Electric) – the companies aim to expand their lineup to increase customer options and reduce vehicle cost, in addition to popularising practical and sustainable EVs.
Isuzu and Hino plan to begin production of EV flat-floor route buses in 2024 via the Isuzu-Hino joint venture J-Bus. Both have been collaborating in the bus sector since 2002 and have been “precisely responding to the requirements of bus operators in Japan”. Recent rapid moves toward carbon neutrality are heightening the need for zero-emission route buses, and Isuzu and Hino is responding to that need.
The EV bus – which will have a flat, single-level floor that extends the length of the vehicle – will be developed by Isuzu. Zero tailpipe emissions aside, the flat floor area of the bus can be greatly expanded compared to conventional non-step buses, and this will help reduce onboard accidents and improve travel safety.
The next step is fuel cell buses, and this is where Toyota – one of the biggest proponents of hydrogen power – comes in. Isuzu, Hino and Toyota are to begin studies for the planning and development of next-generation FCEV route buses based on the EV flat-floor route bus mentioned above.
This next-gen FCEV route bus will combine the platform of the EV flat-floor bus with Toyota’s fuel cell system found in the Toyota Mirai car and the Sora fuel cell bus. By sharing the same components between EVs and FCEVs, the three companies aim to significantly reduce costs. Also, by adopting the latest fuel cell stacks and utilising Toyota and Hino’s FCEV bus development know-how, they aim to provide longer-life, “higher-added-value” electrified vehicles.
“Through this initiative, Isuzu, Hino, and Toyota intend to contribute to the realisation of a hydrogen-based society in Japan, by applying Japan’s strengths in fuel cell technology,” the companies said in a statement.
Fukuoka, the main city of Japan’s Kyushu island, plans to be a pioneer in this “hydrogen society”, with help from Toyota. Read more about the city’s efforts, such as the world’s first initiative to produce hydrogen from public household sewage for supply to fuel cell vehicles, here. Also, more on Toyota chief Akio Toyoda’s views on EVs and carbon neutrality here.
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