Isuzu Motors Limited and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. have begun demonstration testing on public roads in Japan of the Giga Fuel Cell, a fuel cell (FC)-powered heavy-duty truck currently being co-developed by the two companies.
Through this demonstration testing, scheduled to run through September 2024, the two companies will continue making progress in collecting data, amassing knowledge and identifying technical issues in preparation for a 2027 market introduction. The prototype model being used for this demonstration testing is the same type as the one exhibited at the Isuzu Group booth at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.
With the cooperation of Isuzu Logistics Co. Ltd. and Honda Logistics Inc., the logistics companies of Isuzu Group and Honda Group, respectively, demonstration testing of the Giga Fuel Cell will be conducted to verify the potential of the utilization of hydrogen fuel and the practicality of FC trucks.
Isuzu and Honda believe that FC technology, which uses hydrogen as fuel and results in no CO2 emissions, will be effective to achieve carbon neutrality of heavy-duty trucks that are required to achieve high-efficiency transportation. This means such trucks can handle long-distance driving, large load capacity and quick refueling.
Since the signing of an agreement in January 2020 to conduct joint research on FC-powered heavy-duty trucks, the two companies have been working on the verification of the compatibility of the FC system and heavy-duty trucks and the establishment of a foundation for basic technologies such as vehicle control technologies.
The companies are planning to introduce the production model to market in 2027 by fully leveraging the technology, experience and knowledge gained through the joint research.
