Toyota Sets 2028 Europe Launch for Hydrogen-Powered Hilux, Targeting Corporate Fleets

Toyota unveils hydrogen Hilux plan at IAA Transportation 2026

Toyota Motor announced on September 14, 2026, at the IAA Transportation trade show in Hannover, Germany, that it will launch a hydrogen fuel cell version of its Hilux light commercial truck in Europe in 2028. The announcement was made public during Toyota Motor Europe's presentation of new applications for its third-generation 300 kW hydrogen fuel cell system. The vehicle is being positioned for vehicle-leasing companies and other corporate fleet customers rather than private buyers.

Specifications target fleet duty cycles

According to the figures released at Hannover, the hydrogen Hilux will offer a driving range of more than 400 kilometres and a towing capacity of up to 2.5 tonnes. The performance envelope is calibrated for light commercial operations such as utility fleets, tradespeople and rental operators, where payload and distance between refueling stops typically drive purchasing decisions. Toyota framed the launch as part of a broader push to apply its third-generation fuel cell stack to commercial vehicles, trains, ships and stationary power generation.

Motorsport validation and supplier pipeline

Toyota Gazoo Racing intends to enter a fuel cell Hilux in the Dakar Rally's Future Mission 1000 category in 2027, using the race as a proving ground for the system under competition conditions. The motorsport program builds on Toyota's work since 2017 developing hydrogen internal combustion engines. Separately, Toyota will supply its third-generation fuel cell system to Scania under a Pilot Partner program for 40 heavy-duty trucks, with the first units scheduled to enter customer operations in the first quarter of 2027, providing a parallel validation track in long-haul trucking.

Iveco prototype and Cellcentric stake

Beyond the Hilux, Toyota and Iveco are cooperating under the EU-funded EMPOWER project to build two 44-tonne fuel cell electric truck prototypes. The Iveco S-eWay Fuel Cell will use Toyota's 300 kW third-generation system, with Iveco targeting more than 900 km of range and more than 25,000 operating hours. Validation is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, with on-road trials planned for the first half of 2027. Toyota has also signed a binding agreement to become an equal shareholder in Cellcentric alongside Daimler Truck and Volvo Group, subject to regulatory approval, consolidating its role in European fuel cell truck development.

Next milestones

The next verifiable checkpoints are the start of EMPOWER on-road trials in the first half of 2027, the Dakar Rally entry in 2027 and the first Scania trucks entering customer operations in the first quarter of 2027, all leading into the targeted 2028 European market launch of the hydrogen Hilux.