1. Toyota is launching a 100% battery-electric pickup truck, but it may not be available in the US.
2. The new “Tern” Class 8 heavy-duty electric truck is being introduced by Toyota Group’s Hino branch.
3. Hexagon Purus will supply battery packs for Hino trucks and plans to produce 10,000 Class 8 trucks by 2030.
Toyota is making moves in the electric truck market with the launch of a 100% battery-electric pickup truck called the Tern. However, this truck may not be available in the US. Instead, Toyota will offer the new Tern Class 8 heavy-duty electric truck through its Hino branch, which has been focused on fuel cell technology for the North American market. Hino has partnered with Norwegian company Hexagon Purus to bring the battery-electric truck to life in a deal valued at $2 billion. Hexagon Purus will supply battery systems and technology for the trucks to be produced commercially starting in 2023.
The new Tern electric truck is expected to have a range of about 200 miles for city duty cycles, with a focus on practical commercial applications. The truck will be equipped with Hexagon’s Gen3 269kWh battery packs in a 750-volt, 538 kWh configuration. The partnership between Hino and Hexagon Purus aims to electrify Class 8 trucks to meet California’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulations, which require a percentage of trucks to be zero-emission by 2024 and ultimately aim for 100% zero-emission truck sales by 2040.
While Toyota’s focus is on the Tern battery-electric truck, there are plans for Hino to develop a Class 8 fuel cell truck for the North American market in the future. Hexagon Purus could play a role in this development, as the company has experience with hydrogen fuel storage systems for fuel cell vehicles like Ford’s F-Max truck. The partnership between Hino and Toyota aims to expand the options for customer use and increase demand for hydrogen in the trucking industry.