Toyota and the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) have revealed a hydrogen road service vehicle that will support hydrogen-powered cars in emergencies, helping to promote a “hydrogen society” in Japan. The vehicle aims to assist cars that have run out of fuel on the road.
JAF currently helps around 50,000 stranded vehicles per year, including 700 electric cars and 20 hydrogen-powered cars. They are now launching a pilot project to provide dedicated roadside assistance for hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Before the development of this truck, hydrogen vehicle users had no choice but to call a tow truck. Toyota, in partnership with JAF, equipped the vehicle with all the necessary features to offer roadside assistance services, not only limited to hydrogen refueling.
In the future, these mobile hydrogen trucks could potentially provide hydrogen for home generators and stationary power generation units.
The vehicle has modules that contain hydrogen tanks used in the Mirai car, which have been designed to be extremely safe. These modules have a high capacity and improve the storage and transportation of hydrogen, making it safer and more efficient. The purpose of developing these modules is to increase the use of hydrogen energy in areas such as seaports and mountainous regions where refueling is challenging.
One of the main obstacles to widespread use of hydrogen vehicles, in addition to their lower energy efficiency compared to electric vehicles, is the need for a large infrastructure to support refueling.
Reference – Toyota Times, Fuel Cell Works, Inside EVs, Clean Technica, Electrek