Fuel-Cell Busses Hit Tokyo Streets

Fuel-cell powered buses have hit the congested Tokyo city streets, running a regular service along one of the city's main thoroughfares. In order to herald the arrival of the H2 buses, the city of Tokyo installed two hydrogen fueling stations, in Tokyo’s Ota and Suginami wards.

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Hino Motors, Ltd. (Hino) recently announced that they will provide a fuel-cell hybrid bus for a commercial bus route between central Tokyo and Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) run by Airport Transport Service Co., Ltd. (“Airport Transport Service”).

The move comes as a result of a request for such vehicles from the Research Association of Hydrogen Supply/Utilization Technology (HySUT), a participant in the Hydrogen Highway Project. The Hydrogen Highway Project is a part of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)’s Demonstration Program for Establishing a Hydrogen-based Social System.

TMC and Hino will modify the jointly developed “FCHV-BUS” fuel-cell hybrid to the requirements of the airport route, then lease it to HySUT. The bus will be fueled with hydrogen at Tokyo Suginami Hydrogen Station in central Tokyo and Haneda Hydrogen Station in Haneda. Data from the operations of the bus will be collected and analyzed for further research and development.

The joint venture between TMC and Hino saw the two companies bringing their own technologies and expertise to the development of the vehicle. TMC was responsible for developing the fuel cell system and Hino the body, including the chassis. During operation, the vehicle does not emit carbon dioxide, or any other atmospheric pollutant such as nitrogen oxide.