Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced plans to build a hydrogen refueling station at its North American Parts Center in Southern California, and to adopt hydrogen fuel cell Class 8 trucks provided by Hyroad Energy for logistics and distribution of vehicles and parts.

"We are building the first hydrogen refueling station in the company's history," said Jason Zahorik, General Manager of Toyota Hydrogen Solutions, in an interview with Trucking Dive.

The announcement was made on Monday at the ACT Expo (Advanced Clean Transportation Expo) in Ontario, California. Zahorik revealed that the hydrogen refueling station is expected to be operational in early 2027. According to the California state business guide (state business guide), the construction period for such hydrogen projects typically takes about 9 months after planning and building approvals (averaging about 10.5 months).

"This hydrogen refueling station will also be open to non-Toyota fuel cell customers," Zahorik added.

This move reflects Toyota's commitment to decarbonization, including its goal of achieving zero emissions in manufacturing as outlined in its "2050 Challenge" (2050 Challenge). The company believes that the commercial vehicle sector is "a key testing ground for validating the large-scale application of the hydrogen ecosystem."

Before the fixed hydrogen refueling station is completed, Toyota will use mobile refueling facilities to start hydrogen transport operations.

Under the cooperation arrangement, Hyroad Energy will provide 40 heavy-duty trucks, and Toyota's logistics team will handle vehicle transport from ports to dealers, as well as internal parts flow. Zahorik noted that these vehicles will handle these tasks.

According to the press release, hydrogen fuel cell trucks take about 15 to 20 minutes to refuel and have a range of up to about 500 miles (approximately 805 kilometers). Unlike diesel semi-trucks, the only local emission during operation is water vapor.

"I believe that with the establishment of these infrastructures and the expansion of deployment scale, it will lay a solid foundation for the future growth of hydrogen transportation," Dmitry Serov, founder and CEO of Hyroad Energy, told Trucking Dive.

Texas-based Hyroad Energy operates on a "Truck-as-a-Service" model. The company acquired more than 100 hydrogen fuel cell trucks (related report) and related intellectual property and other assets from Nikola Corp. last year, after Nikola had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection (related report）。

"We provide trucks, maintenance, and hydrogen refueling services, all bundled into a leasing plan," Serov said. "Customers do not need to bear the upfront capital burden."