Toyota partners with Chinese autos to develop hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

Japanese auto giant Toyota, has announced a joint venture with six Chinese auto manufacturers for the development of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in China.

The company in a statement said that the joint venture agreement called the United Fuel Cell System R&D (FCRD) will produce fuel cell systems for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) to help in the realization of a clean mobility society in China.

The six companies participating in the joint venture are as follows: China FAW Corporation Limited, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Guangzhou Automobile Group Co, Beijing Automotive Group, Beijing SinoHytec Co and Toyota Motor Corporation.

"FCRD is a company that holds tremendous significance for Toyota's global FC strategies. There is no other automobile market with such a sense of speed, and I am extremely confident that we will gain partners we can work with toward the shared target of expanding the use of FCEVs in China.

"As I regularly state, it is important to find partners to promote the electrification of cars, and by working with companies that have considerable influence in China's commercial vehicle market as well as SinoHytec, which has reliable technological capabilities, I believe that we will be able to establish the foundations for the widespread use of FCEVs in China. Toyota is committed to deepening its undertakings for the development of the FCEV industry in China through open collaborative relationships with its partners," said Operating Officer of Toyota, Shigeki Terashi.

Toyota said that FCRD will support the proliferation of FCEVs for the creation of a hydrogen-based society in China, and by promoting and developing FCEVs, will contribute to solving environmental issues including reducing CO2 emissions and curtailing air pollution and work to facilitate the formation of an even better mobility society in China.