Toyota HiLux hydrogen ute confirmed for local arrival

Toyota has confirmed a production hydrogen fuel-cell version of the HiLux for launch in Europe and Oceania from 2028, expanding the ute's line-up beyond diesel, 48-volt mild-hybrid and battery-electric powertrains. The Japanese brand says the HiLux FCEV is targeting more than 400km of driving range, a 2500kg towing capacity and five-minute refuelling, giving it potential advantages over the battery-electric HiLux BEV.

Toyota has doubled down on its multi-pathway powertrain strategy by locking in a hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) version of the ninth-generation HiLux.

A teaser image released by the brand previews the production model, which appears to feature a unique lighting signature, although Toyota has yet to reveal detailed styling changes beyond the darkened image.

The hydrogen-powered ute is targeting more than 400km of WLTP driving range and a 2500kg towing capacity. Those figures would see it outperform the European-market HiLux BEV, which offers around 257km of WLTP range and up to 2000kg of towing capability.

Toyota also highlights one of hydrogen's major advantages over battery-electric vehicles: refuelling time. Filling the HiLux FCEV's hydrogen tanks is expected to take around five minutes, compared with roughly 30 minutes to replenish the BEV's battery from 10 to 80 per cent.

The new model builds on a development program that began with the HiLux H2 prototype unveiled in 2022. In 2024, Toyota assembled 10 fuel-cell prototypes at its Derby facility in the United Kingdom using hardware derived from the Toyota Mirai.

Those test vehicles featured three hydrogen storage tanks mounted within the ladder-frame chassis, a lithium-ion battery beneath the tray and a rear-mounted electric motor producing 134kW and 300Nm. Toyota originally estimated a driving range of about 600km from the prototype package.

However, the company has not yet disclosed final powertrain specifications for the production version, leaving details such as hydrogen storage capacity, drivetrain layout and performance outputs unconfirmed.

Hydrogen infrastructure remains a significant hurdle. Europe and the United Kingdom currently have fewer than 200 operational hydrogen refuelling stations, limiting the practical appeal of fuel-cell vehicles outside selected regions. Pricing is also expected to sit above equivalent diesel and battery-electric variants, although Toyota has yet to provide any cost estimates.

Toyota says the HiLux FCEV will arrive in 2028 as part of an increasingly diverse commercial vehicle line-up. The fuel-cell ute will sit alongside conventional diesel-powered models, the existing mild-hybrid and the battery-electric HiLux as the brand caters to varying customer needs and operating environments.

The hydrogen programme is also set to expand beyond the road, with Toyota planning to field a fuel-cell HiLux in the Dakar Rally's Future Mission 1000 category in 2027. More detailed specifications, pricing and market availability are expected closer to the model's launch.

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