Isuzu, Toyota, Hino team up to launch EV buses in 2024

MANILA: Isuzu, Toyota, and Hino announced that they are partnering to build battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and hydrogen buses for 2024. This collaboration is part of the brands' carbon-neutral goal for 2050, according to a release. 

The BEV buses will be a joint development for the 3 companies and will be manufactured by Isuzu. This is a response to the "requirements of bus operators in Japan,' the release added. With a compact battery underneath the cabin, the BEV bus offers a flat floor that increases passenger safety and cabin space. 

The brands will also be begin to develop a next-generation fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) route bus based on the BEV flat-floor route bus, which is slated to be produced from 2024.

The FCEV bus will combine the platform of the BEV bus with Toyota's fuel cell system found in the Toyota Mirai and the Sora bus.

By sharing the same components between BEVs and FCEVs, the three firms aim to reduce costs, adopt new-generation fuel cell stacks, and use Toyota and Hino's FCEV bus development knowledge. 

Photos from Toyota 

Also read: Toyota to roll out 30 BEV models and sell 3.5-M units of these by 2030