OYAMA (Shizuoka Pref.): Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. said Saturday that it has started testing a hydrogen-powered vehicle on public roads in Australia, using a HiAce commercial van fitted with a hydrogen engine.

The auto giant, hoping to commercialize hydrogen engine vehicles, has thus far improved such vehicles mainly through motor sports. It will work to improve their practicality and operability on public roads.

“We are in a stage where we aim for commercialization by having (hydrogen vehicles) be used,” Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima told reporters at Fuji International Speedway in the town of Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan.

The four-month test began on Oct. 23 in the suburbs of the eastern Australian city of Melbourne. The vehicle is used by a local construction company and others.

Toyota judged that Australia is a suitable location for the test because it has many hydrogen refueling stations.

The structure of a hydrogen engine is similar to those of gasoline engines. A hydrogen engine burns hydrogen, which does not emit carbon dioxide.

It is easier to apply technologies and parts of gasoline vehicles to hydrogen vehicles than to electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, which use hydrogen to generate electricity to power motors.

However, hydrogen vehicles can only travel about 200 kilometers on a single charge of hydrogen. In addition, it is essential to set up hydrogen refueling stations to put such vehicles into practical use.

JIJI Press