Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Toyota’s 2nd-generation hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck in it for the short haul

By
Toyota Project Portal 2.0 hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Toyota is serious about hydrogen fuel cells — and not just for cars. The Japanese automaker unveiled Project Portal, a hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck, in April 2017, and since then it’s logged nearly 10,000 miles of testing and hauling cargo around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Now Toyota is deploying an upgraded, second-generation version.

Project Portal 2.0 uses the same powertrain as its predecessor, which consists of two hydrogen fuel-cell stacks lifted from Toyota Mirai sedans, plus a 12-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The new truck produces the same 670 horsepower and 1,325 pound-feet of torque as the original Project Portal “Alpha” vehicle, but Toyota says range has increased by 100 miles, to 300 miles per hydrogen fill-up.

Recommended Videos

Toyota also added a sleeper cab for Project Portal 2.0, although it’s unclear how often it will be used. The original Project Portal truck is currently used in “drayage” operations, hauling cargo relatively short distances from docks to nearby rail yards and warehouses. This keeps the truck close to a fueling station at all times, and demonstrates a greener alternative to the 16,000 pollution-spewing diesel trucks Toyota claims are currently puttering around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The sleeper cab seems aimed more at demonstrating Toyota’s ability to package fuel-cell powertrain components within a relatively stock semi-truck body than any immediate real-world use (related: semi-truck body shop).

Related

Project Portal represents a different approach to zero-emission trucking than some other companies are taking. While Toyota is concentrating on short-haul drayage, Nikola Motors is promising a production hydrogen fuel-cell semi for longer hauls. Tesla and newcomer Thor Trucks are planning long-haul trucks powered by batteries. But these companies will have to ensure that there are enough hydrogen fueling stations or charging stations to support their rigs.

Toyota also hasn’t committed to a timeline for launching a production version of Project Portal. The automaker said version 2.0 is closer to being commercially viable, and has discussed selling fuel-cell trucks in the past, but won’t offer any other specifics. Note that both Project Portal trucks are based on existing Kenworth chassis, not a Toyota-specific design.

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are still hampered by a lack of fueling stations and high production costs, but Toyota remains committed to the technology. The automaker plans to produce the next-generation Mirai in much larger numbers, hoping to drive prices down through economies of scale. While the current-generation Mirai already has a range of 310 miles — more than most battery-electric cars — Toyota is also expected to increase the range of the next-generation model in order to make it more appealing to customers.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Stephen Edelstein
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Editor
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra.

Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.

Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.

Read more
Robotaxi aside, a $25,000 EV would be pointless, Tesla CEO says
Blue Tesla Model 3 Highland on the road

Enthusiasts expecting to one day put their hands on the steering wheel of a $25,000 Tesla EV may feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.
CEO Elon Musk has just put a serious damper on those expectations, saying that outside of the driverless Robotaxi recently unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 model would be “pointless” and “silly.”
During a conference call with investors, Musk was asked to clarify whether such a model was in the works.
"Basically, having a regular $25K model is pointless,” Musk said. “It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe." Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that the future is autonomous.”
On October 10, Tesla unveiled its much-awaited robotaxi, called the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The company also unveiled the Robovan, a much larger autonomous vehicle expected to carry people or goods.
The automaker said the Cybercab is expected to be produced in 2026 and cost $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said that it would be a $25,000 car without specifying if that price tag included federal tax credits.
Tesla’s ambiguity about an affordable entry-level model has been going on for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would arrive within three years. It was later reported that Tesla had ditched the idea, instead favoring the development of a robotaxi.
Language within Tesla’s latest financial report still hints that new affordable Tesla models are on the way. But Musk’s latest comments are putting a floor on just how affordable these would be. So far, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains the company’s cheapest model, with a base price of $38,990.
Some rival EV makers, meanwhile, are entering the affordable space more aggressively in the U.S.
General Motors has already put out its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.

Read more
Stellantis’ 2027 Dodge Charger Daytona might feature solid-state battery tech
Front three quarter view of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona sedan.

The battle to use cheaper, more efficient, and safer EV batteries is heating up among automakers. At the heart of this battle, the development of solid-state battery technology, an alternative to highly flammable and costly lithium batteries, is garnering more and more attention.For proof, Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, is betting on the technology for its next generation of electric vehicles. The Netherlands-based company announced that it will launch a demonstration fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona EVs that will feature solid-state battery tech made by U.S. startup Factorial.The demo fleet, expected to launch by 2026, will provide a real-world assessment of Factorial’s technology. Factorial has been partnering with Stellantis since 2021 and is also partnering with the likes of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.Besides Dodge, the technology would eventually be deployed on the Stellantis STLA Large multi-energy platform, which includes brands such as Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.Stellantis said that the integration of solid-state battery technology will yield “improved performance, longer driving ranges, and faster charging times in the coming years.”Factorial, meanwhile, says its technology provides higher energy density, reduced weight, improved performance, and the potential for further reduction in total vehicle cost over time. Stellantis, Daimler, and Hyundai aren’t the only ones to bet on solid-state battery tech. Toyota, the largest automaker in the world, has heavily invested in the technology. It also created a coalition with Nissan and Panasonic to boost its production in Japan. So far, making solid-state batteries has remained an expensive endeavor. But steps such as the Stellantis demo fleet and production at scale by the likes of Factorial are expected to improve manufacturing processes and costs over time.Other automakers, meanwhile, are working on ways to improve lithium batteries. Volkswagen, for one, is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.

Read more