Feasibility study will examine potential usage of fuel cell technology in heavy-duty applications.

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has announced the testing of a hydrogen fuel cell system designed for heavy trucks. The study will begin this summer in California.

“As they did with the Prius and the Mirai, Toyota is taking a leap into the future of technology,” said Mary D. Nichols, Chair, California Air Resources Board (CARB).

The test truck generates more than 670 horsepower and 1,325 pound feet of torque from two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12kWh battery, a relatively small battery to support class 8 load operations. The concept’s gross combined weight capacity is 80,000 lbs, and its estimated driving range is more than 360 km per fill.

“Toyota believes that hydrogen fuel cell technology has tremendous potential to become the powertrain of the future,” said TMNA Executive Vice President Bob Carter. “From creating one of the world’s first mass market fuel cell vehicles, to introducing fuel cell buses in Japan, Toyota is a leader in expanding the use of versatile and scalable zero-emission technology.”