Toyota to establish institute in China for green technologies and hydrogen research
April 24, 2019The Japanese automaker is planning on setting up a research institute in Beijing.
Toyota Motor Company in partnership with Tsinghua University is focusing on hydrogen research and other green technologies that could help improve car technology and ease China’s environmental problems. To do so, the companies are establishing a research institute in Beijing.
Toyota plans to share more technology with China.
Just as it adopted the widespread use of electric vehicles, China intends to evolve its hydrogen society and wants to significantly increase the number of hydrogen fuel cell cars on its roads. Toyota wants to help China with its efforts and intends to share more technology with China.
The Japanese car maker is seeking to expand its business in the country by boosting its manufacturing capacity and distribution channels, according to a source close to Toyota, Reuters reports.
The hydrogen research and green technologies organization, which will be known as the Tsinghua-Toyota Joint Research Institute, will conduct research into cars and new technology. The purpose of this research will be to solve environmental problems in China. Among these include lowering traffic accidents.
The Tsinghua-Toyota Joint Research Institute will “cooperate in research not only related to cars for Chinese consumers, but also in research related to active utilization of hydrogen energy that can help solve China’s energy problems,” Toyota revealed in a statement.
Beyond hydrogen research, Toyota also intends to offer carmakers free access to its EV technologies.
Reuters notes that this move of Toyota’s dovetails the company’s announcement it made earlier this month, which revealed that the carmaker would offers other automakers and suppliers around the world free access to nearly 24,000 patents for electric vehicles (EV) technologies.
Toyota intends to become a tier 2 supplier of hybrid systems and has already received inquiries from over 50 companies, Executive Vice President Shigeki Terashi told Reuters, earlier in April.
In addition to pouring efforts into green technologies and hydrogen research, Toyota has said it has begun to supply fuel cell vehicle parts to Foton and SinoHytec, Chinese commercial vehicle makers. Although no financial details were revealed about this recent agreement, Toyota has said that it hopes to partner with more Chinese companies to promote fuel cell vehicle penetration in the country.
If Toyota reach an agreement w/China, the 10 % of passengers vehicles of the world, will be powered using hydrogen.
This is a Big Leagues Play!
Is there any development news in the UK? I can only see 8 charging stations for hydrogen. I would buy a hydrogen car if I could fill it up!