Toyota is paving the way for more sustainable mobility: together with the German system solution provider for 100% renewable energies GP JOULE and the bus manufacturer CaetanoBus, the automotive group is developing integrated hydrogen solutions to use the alternative drive technology in various modes of transport and vehicle fleets. Local hydrogen ecosystems for various mobility applications are intended to promote the decarbonization of transport.
With their complementary expertise, the participating companies cover the entire value chain of hydrogen mobility – from the production of “green” hydrogen to its distribution and refueling infrastructure to its use in various vehicle segments. In addition to passenger cars, where Toyota already offers a second-generation fuel cell sedan in the form of the Mirai (combined hydrogen fuel consumption 0.89-0.79 kg/100 km; combined electricity consumption 0 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions 0 g/km – according to WLTP), the initial focus is on buses and light commercial vehicles. In the future, an expansion to heavy trucks is also conceivable.
By integrating different applications and projects in a regional hydrogen ecosystem, a virtuous cycle is created that facilitates access to hydrogen for other mobility applications. The cooperation between the three companies is intended to boost both hydrogen supply and vehicle demand. In addition to appropriate infrastructure and refueling stations, integrated vehicle offers (leasing and service) for customers such as taxi and fleet operators as well as local authorities are important.
“We are excited about the opportunity to combine our strengths and promote the development of hydrogen clusters. Toyota brings its proven applications and products to the ecosystem. By working with our partners, we aim to accelerate and intensify the use of green hydrogen in favor of CO2-neutral mobility. This will gradually reduce the cost of hydrogen and its infrastructure and thus form the basis for many future business models,” explains André Schmidt, President of Toyota Deutschland GmbH.
“Green hydrogen is of central importance for climate protection and the energy transition: As a climate-neutral, versatile energy carrier, it replaces natural gas, oil, and coal in numerous applications. The mobility sector in particular must switch from fossil fuels to green alternatives for a successful energy transition. GP JOULE is pleased to partner with Toyota and CaetanoBus to provide 100% green hydrogen locally at hydrogen refueling stations. Such partnerships are essential to creating efficient ecosystems that further drive the expansion of hydrogen mobility,” adds André Steinau, Managing Director of GP JOULE Hydrogen GmbH.
“We are aware of the responsibility of the mobility sector in this mission and our goal as a bus manufacturer is to continuously develop new hydrogen buses to reduce the CO2 footprint in cities. If we can do this in partnership to create a complete ecosystem, all the better because energy transitions are only effective when they are aligned between companies, countries, and policies,” says Patrícia Vasconcelos, CEO of CaetanoBus.
