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Toyota Australia predicts that the commercial sector will play a vital part in the roll-out of fuel cell vehicles in the future.
Image credit: Toyota
As part of this vision, refuelling stations would be located in depots across the country to help fast-track the implementation of this new technology.
Since commercial vehicles return to a central depot each day, only one refuelling station would be required at each depot.
This not only means fuel cell vehicles could be introduced in Australia a lot quicker, but it also allows more time for the relevant infrastructure to be rolled out throughout the country for private vehicle use.
This prediction comes as Toyota’s first commercially available fuel-cell vehicle, the Mirai, will be on show in Sydney at the 6th World Hydrogen Technologies Convention in mid-October.
Toyota Australia President Dave Buttner said this would be the ideal pilot program should fuel cell vehicles be introduced locally.
“Hydrogen is a promising alternate fuel for the future and the Mirai is the exciting technology that Toyota is offering globally. As Australians, we want to eventually be part of that,” Mr Buttner said.
“Of course, we acknowledge that we are a fair way off being in a position to introduce this technology in Australia as we first need the relevant infrastructure.
“However, with a well-developed implementation plan towards the future, we believe this vision would be an ideal way to introduce Australia to this exciting new technology and pave the way for the eventual roll out to the private sector.”
The Mirai is already on sale in Japan and also available in the U.S. and Europe from this autumn.
Currently, drivers can expect a generous cruising range of approximately 550 kilometres* and a convenient hydrogen refuelling time of approximately three minutes.
The Mirai, which means future in Japanese, uses the Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), which features both fuel cell and hybrid technology. TFCS is more energy efficient than internal combustion engines and emits only water when driven.
