Toyota’s fuel cell bus Sora ready for production
Toyota’s first fuel cell bus, the Sora, has gone on sale fully certified. The Japanese corporation expects to sell a 100 vehicles to shuttle passengers around Tokyo in time for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020.
Sora is an acronym for Sky, Ocean, River, Air, that represents the earth’s water cycle and thus the hydrogen the Toyota FC Bus is riding on. With the lines rolling, sales have started in Japan.
The Sora fuel cell bus was only presented in November last year as part of a range of Toyota hydrogen concepts. The production version uses the Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), developed initially for the Mirai FCV. The fuel cell stack is a solid polymer electrolyte with two packs boasting 114kW each and a nickel-metal hydride battery for the drive. The motor delivers 113 kW.
Additionally, the Sora can turn into an emergency power source in case disaster strikes. The external power output device can 9 kW maximum output, and electricity supply of 235 kWh times 2.
Toyota calls the overall design stereoscopic rather than boxy and the fuel cell bus comes with LED lights and all around cameras.
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