A partnership between the Toyota Motor Corporation and Hino Motors will mean a fuel cell hybrid bus can run from central Tokyo to Tokyo International Airport.
The bus will make one round trip per day on a route between Shinjuku Station’s West Exit and Haneda Airport; and on one between Tokyo City Air Terminal and Haneda Airport. It will be fuelled by hydrogen at Tokyo Suginami Hydrogen Station in central Tokyo and Haneda Hydrogen Station in Haneda with both to begin operations on December 15.
Both Toyota and Hino will analyse data from the operations and look at a practical application of fuel cell hybrid buses that will proceed with further research and development. They have also brought their own technologies and expertise to the development of the vehicle with Toyota responsible for developing the fuel cell system and Hino the body, including the chassis.
It will have the same specifications as the current fuel cell hybrid bus that is in operation in the vicinity of Central Japan International Airport. That bus has been fitted with two 80kW, 260Nm permanent magnet electric motors and powered by NiMH batteries with two 90kW PEM fuel cell stacks. Its maximum speed is 50mph.
