Toyota will launch the first mobile clinic powered by a fuel cell this summer

Electric mobility continues to advance strongly and is not limited to passenger cars alone. So it did not surprise us that Toyota has applied fuel cell hydrogen technology to shape a mobile clinic powered by this technology. We are already seeing electric ambulances take up space in emergency services, but this is a fairly important step forward for the emergency vehicle sector.

To develop this vehicle, the company is working together with the Kumamoto Red Cross Hospital, and the goal is to demonstrate that this type of hydrogen-powered vehicle is capable of providing efficient service during emergencies. In this way, it will not only be a vehicle capable of acting in urgent situations, but it will also be able to do so without producing polluting emissions while carrying out the service.

Daily service and natural disasters

This mobile clinic powered by a hydrogen fuel cell can be used in day-to-day services, like any other medicalised ambulance, but it will be very practical in natural disaster situations. This may seem strange, but it must be remembered that Japan lies in an area with frequent earthquakes, typhoons and other natural events that tend to cause serious damage to infrastructure.

With this mobile clinic it will not only be possible to offer medical assistance, but it could also serve as an emergency power generator and supply energy to the area affected by such situations.

To achieve this FCEV mobile clinic, Toyota used the Coaster minibus as its base, replacing its standard engine with the traction system already used by the Toyota Mirai. Thus, the technology already applied in the first mass-produced fuel cell model is seeking its place in a market that is still emerging.

The unit will have several 100 VAC power outlets, both inside and outside. It also has a high-capacity external DC power supply system, which can serve as a power source for an external grid. Its capacity is up to 90 kWh and its maximum output is 9 kW.

This hydrogen-powered medicalised ambulance will also be able to support other mobile facilities, such as blood collection buses, other medicalised ambulances and any emergency requiring extra energy when needed. It is a good project that could change the whole emergency assistance system and make it more effective.