Toyota expands its hydrogen model to the United Arab Emirates

Coinciding with the official opening of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (United Arab Emirates), Toyota has presented a project that will explore the potential of hydrogen for achieving a sustainable, low-carbon society.

During this programme, which will run from May 2017, driving and refuelling tests of the Toyota Mirai, the manufacturer’s fuel cell saloon, will be carried out. Taking advantage of a hydrogen station whose construction is scheduled for the start date of the project, Toyota will carry out a series of tests in extreme heat, dust and other conditions typical of the local environment.

The manufacturer will collaborate on this programme with the following organisations: Masdar (an eco-city designed and located in Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Air Liquide and Al-Futtaim Motors (distributor of Toyota and Lexus). The partners in this programme will jointly investigate the key fields for establishing a hydrogen-based society, including its production, commercial viability, logistics and scalability.

The research tests will begin in May with the Toyota Mirai fuel cell saloon. The Japanese manufacturer will lend the Toyota Mirai to certain government institutions and opinion leaders in the United Arab Emirates to promote awareness of fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen-based societies as an alternative fuel.

“The United Arab Emirates has considerable potential for expanding hydrogen production. The country has spare capacity in hydrogen production facilities located at oil refineries, and the ability to produce hydrogen as a by-product at caustic soda plants and other substance factories, not to mention the production potential of mega solar power stations,” says Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Toyota Motor Corporation.

In 2015, Toyota announced the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 (Toyota Environmental Challenge) with the aim of contributing to the achievement of sustainable societies. Toyota sells the Toyota Mirai in Japan, the United States and some European countries. Thanks to this programme, Toyota’s hydrogen technology will also be present in the United Arab Emirates.

“If the government continues to promote new initiatives and aspires to a hydrogen-based society, the United Arab Emirates could position itself as a world leader in next-generation clean energy,” says Mr Uchiyamada.