Isuzu Elf with Toyota hydrogen fuel cell tech set for 2027 launch

Isuzu and Toyota are already working together to make route buses powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. We saw that with the Erga FCV that was showcased at last year’s Japan Mobility Show.

This time out, the two Japanese companies are leveraging the technology for use in light-duty trucks. Isuzu and Toyota have announced they are collaborating again to develop a hydrogen fuel cell truck based on the Elf EV platform.

The setup is similar to the Erga FCV project – Isuzu provides the light-duty truck platform, while Toyota provides its third-generation hydrogen fuel cell system. By sharing the BEV components with the FCV light truck, this allows both manufacturers to drive down development and production costs while inching closer to achieving the multi-pathway goal towards zero emissions in the logistics sector.

With light-duty trucks often fitted with refrigerated vans to make deliveries of frozen goods, Isuzu and Toyota claim the hydrogen path provides more advantages compared to BEVs in terms of operational efficiency, since energy replenishment is faster when using hydrogen, and provides a longer driving range.

Production of the Elf FCEV is aimed to start by fiscal year 2027, but the project is likely to stay in Japan in the meantime, since hydrogen infrastructure is still yet to be established in most global markets.