Toyota Motor North America announces a new “H2HQ” headquarters in Gardena, California. The existing facility is being renovated and upgraded to become Toyota’s North American center for advancing and commercializing hydrogen propulsion and hydrogen power generation systems.
Toyota expects this facility to have its own fully-functioning microgrid by 2026 that will allow this facility to operated “off grid” as needed. In order to do this, the company will install 230 kW solar array, 1 MW stationary proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell generator, a 325 kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), and an onsite 500 kWh battery bank. This facility will also have an education center that is open for tours.
Toyota is not new to hydrogen-based power generation technology. Toyota has been working in this field for over 30 years, according to the company. The Toyota Mirai fuel-cell electric car came to the United States market as a 2015 model. Toyota since then redesigned the Mirai that is available for customers now. In 2017, Toyota introduced a fuel cell powered Class 8 semi-truck prototype (using two Mirai power units). This prototype truck led to production of 10 more prototype trucks that Toyota worked on with PACCAR’s Kenworth division. PACCAR and Toyota have agreed to commercialize this heavy truck in 2023. The fuel-cell power units will come from Toyota’s Kentucky production facility.
I hope to ride in and drive Toyota’s new fuel-cell electric technology very soon. Roman and I saw the Kenworth/Toyota prototype truck at the LA Auto Show almost seven years ago.
