The Japanese manufacturers Toyota, Hino and Isuzu want to drive forward the electrification of buses as part of their joint venture concluded last year. The partners have announced the production of a battery-electric low-floor bus for 2024. A fuel cell offshoot is also to be developed on the basis of this.
The three manufacturers mentioned – with Hino being a Toyota subsidiary – are among the founding members of the Commercial Japan Partnership, with Suzuki and Daihatsu joining later. The development joint venture is to advance so-called CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric) technologies in the commercial vehicle sector, including electric drives.
Isuzu and Hino are expected to use these developments as part of their bus joint venture called J-Bus to launch a BEV low-floor bus in fiscal 2024. Details on the e-drive and layout of the battery bus are not yet clear from the announcement.
In addition, it was agreed to develop a city bus with a fuel cell – Toyota will then also be directly involved in this project as a third partner. Toyota already has experience with FCEV buses: the Japanese company has been selling the Sora fuel cell bus since 2018, and the Portuguese manufacturer CaetanoBus is also using Toyota fuel cells in its buses for Europe.
Again, no data is yet known. However, it is clear from the Toyota announcement that the same components as in the Sora and the Mirai fuel cell car will probably be used in order to reduce costs considerably. Basically, the companies want the initiative to help “realize a hydrogen-based society in Japan” by “leveraging Japan’s strengths in fuel cell technology.”
Keyword: Toyota, Hino & Isuzu announces electric bus for 2024