TOYOTA used IAA Transportation 2024 in Germany (previously Hannover Truck Present) to show its new heavy-duty van, full Skilled line-up and hydrogen-based European Mild Industrial Car (LCV) “options” for the transport {industry}.
Presenting the automaker’s European technique within the house(s) was Tom Fux, Toyota Motor Europe vp, gross sales and worth chain, and Toyota gross sales and advertising who stated: “Our international firm imaginative and prescient of offering mobility options for each buyer and leaving nobody behind additionally applies to our industrial car vary”.
Mr Fux introduced that Toyota now presents a full and electrified product vary to satisfy each buyer’s want.
He channelled Toyota’s industrial car enterprise in Europe to this point that dates from the Nineteen Sixties when the burgeoning Japanese producer launched the “legendary” HiLux ute and HiAce van in Europe every car gaining a worldwide popularity since for high quality, sturdiness and reliability.
He reminded these attending that in 2016, Toyota entered a strategic partnership with Stellantis for industrial autos, beginning with the Toyota ProAce. Since then, the automaker has loved year-on-year development in Europe, each by way of gross sales and market share.
Mr Fux stated Toyota strengthened its product line-up with the ProAce Metropolis on the finish of 2019 and in 2021, launched the ProAce and ProAce Metropolis Electrical leading to report gross sales final 12 months of 140,000 items or a market share of 5.7 per cent.
That was on the again of promoting HiLux ute and the ProAce entrants within the CDV and MDV van segments representing some 70 per cent of your complete European LCV market…
It left a 30 per cent market hole (the heavy-duty phase) out of attain however now it’s lined off following the introduction of a newcomer to Toyota Europe’s vary… the ProAce Max with a variety of physique varieties offering new enterprise alternatives for Toyota and its clients.
The mannequin has been shortlisted for the 2025 Worldwide Van of The Yr.
It serves to kindle Toyota’s ambitions because it desires Toyota Skilled to develop into an much more credible LCV model in Europe… aiming for a prime six place by additional rising its market share to seven per cent and reaching an annual gross sales quantity of 180,000 items.
“To realize these targets, we’ve got developed a Toyota LCV technique encompassing a powerful and aggressive product vary, enhanced buyer care, market-leading industrial car providers and experience and a devoted product roll-out for Toyota Skilled Centres throughout Europe to supply the appropriate buyer journey,” stated Mr Fux.
“The brand new ProAce Max completes the Toyota Skilled line-up with the main focus now on clients who’re in line to get pleasure from further advantages equivalent to a one-year guarantee extension when the car is serviced by an authorised Toyota retailer, an Specific Service utilizing two technicians and tailored monetary providers and merchandise offered by Kinto, Toyota Monetary Companies and Toyota Insurance coverage Companies.
“Consistent with our Mobility for All promise, we’ve got developed a wheelchair accessible car conversion for ProAce Verso, and right this moment, making a European premiere, we showcase a wheelchair accessible idea for the CDV phase as effectively.
“We may have the appropriate merchandise, the appropriate providers, and the appropriate individuals, but in addition the appropriate place with our Toyota Skilled Centres to satisfy each buyer wants. Our Toyota Skilled Centres will all get a model new, distinctive look. And by finish of 2025 we’re planning to succeed in 500 Toyota Skilled Centres round Europe.”
Toyota has a multi-path technique in direction of carbon neutrality, together with in its industrial car vary, exemplified by the present fleet that gives clients a variety of inside combustion engines, delicate hybrid, and battery electrical autos.
With a battery electrical autos gross sales mixture of 10 per cent Toyota is already a prime performing model in Europe, outperforming the market total.
However its ambition is to additional enhance the combination of zero-emission autos by additional working with clients to outline the subsequent era of product options that features battery electrical and gasoline cell electrical prototypes of the long-lasting HiLux.
Mr Fux stated he believes the gasoline cell variant is of key curiosity in Europe.
In relation to Hydrogen gasoline cell expertise, Toyota Motor Europe’s government vp, R&D, hydrogen manufacturing unit Europe, Shinichi Yasui stated Toyota strongly imagine that hydrogen gasoline cell expertise is a good match for LCVs and “we lately demonstrated it within the Hilux on the Olympic video games”.
“In actual fact, in Paris we confirmed how hydrogen can be utilized for a lot of purposes – all of which may assist an area hydrogen cluster – which in flip creates demand and reduces prices. This type of cluster combines gasoline cell use in vehicles, taxis, buses, vans and even boats working on the river,” he stated.
“Our aim is to cut back carbon emissions as a lot as doable, as quickly as doable, in every single place on this planet! And never only for gentle obligation autos. We imagine gasoline cell expertise is an excellent match for medium and heavy-duty transportation options.
“The broader use of hydrogen as an power service is coming shortly. An EU regulation is coming to stimulate the event of a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. This implies there will probably be a hydrogen station each 200km alongside the Trans-European Transport Community by the tip of this decade.
“The purpose is that inexperienced hydrogen goes to be extensively accessible throughout Europe by 2030. Issues are shifting.”
Toyota imagine that right this moment it already has industry-leading hydrogen gasoline cell expertise lately saying its third-generation expertise which is able to additional enhance effectivity by round 20 per cent and cut back the price of the gasoline cell stack by as much as 50 per cent.
“The launch of this newest expertise will coincide with new infrastructure and inexperienced hydrogen developments I simply talked about,” added Mr Yasui.
“This may give an growing variety of transportation corporations a sensible and reasonably priced strategy to cut back their carbon footprints.
“With our companions we’ve got already created a variety of purposes together with buses, boats, trains and stationary energy mills.”
