Toyota introduces fuel-cell buses

Toyota Motor Corporation will begin to sell fuel-cell buses (FC buses) under the Toyota brand from early 2017. Having already undergone repeated field tests for practical use, the Bureau of Transportation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to utilise two of these as fixed-route buses.

Toyota plans to introduce over 100 FC buses, mainly in the Tokyo area, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In preparation for the events, the number of FC buses being introduced will increase steadily going forward. Toyota also aims to engage continuously in the expansion of the introduction of the new FC buses from 2018.

The development of the ten-metre-long, 77-passenger Toyota FC Bus was based on the company’s experience in developing FC buses together with Hino Motors.

The Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), which was developed for the Mirai fuel-cell vehicle (FCV), has been adopted to provide better energy efficiency (in comparison with internal combustion engines), and to deliver superior environmental performance with no CO₂ or particle emissions when driving.

The bus also uses a high-capacity external power-supply system. With a power supply capable of a nine kilowatt maximum output, and a large capacity of electricity supply at 235 kWh, the FC bus can even be used as a power source in the event of disasters, such as at evacuation sites, or at school gymnasiums. Its electricity supply can also be harnessed for home electric appliance use.

The Toyota Group considers the use of hydrogen to be a powerful source of energy for the future. Toyota has released the Mirai FCV, while also engaging in the technological and product development of FC buses, fuel-cell forklifts, as well as stationary fuel cells for use in homes.