Toyota Expands Commitment to Hydrogen Society with Fleet, Infrastructure and Next-Gen System Debut

 

• Plans to introduce hydrogen trucks to Southern California-based Toyota North American Parts Center fleet
• Investments in hydrogen infrastructure to benefit trucking fleets and consumers
• North American debut of Toyota’s more efficient, more powerful Gen 3 FC system

Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) today reaffirmed its commitment to a Hydrogen Society at the 2025 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo, introducing hydrogen-related plans, investments and debuting new fuel cell technologies and products.

At a keynote during the ACT Expo’s Hydrogen Workshop, Toyota Group Vice President of Powertrain Engineering Jordan Choby announced plans to introduce hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric Class 8 heavy-duty trucks as part of an effort to reduce the number of diesel-powered tractor trailers servicing Toyota’s North America Parts Center California (NAPCC). To support the new hydrogen trucks in the fleet, the company also announced plans for a new hydrogen fueling station to be built on the NAPCC campus, as well as plans to further invest and vertically integrate into the hydrogen ecosystem.

Toyota also debuted its next-generation fuel cell technology in North America, the Toyota Gen 3 FC system.

“Hydrogen as a fuel – and especially fuel cells – offer benefits that can make a positive change, and we are invested in their long-term success,” Choby said. “We are investing in resources that we believe will lead to sustainable growth, both for our operations and the entire value chain in this still-evolving transportation sector.”

With Class 8 heavy-duty trucks powered by fuel cells moving out of their pilot phase, Toyota will begin introducing production-level FCEV trucks to its logistics fleet, running routes from the Port of Long Beach to the NAPCC in Ontario, California, and even as far south as San Diego. The shift is part of Toyota’s 2050 Challenge goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from its supply chain.

“Our goals, capabilities to accomplish those goals and long-term mindset have put Toyota in a position to be a leader moving the global transportation industry forward,” Choby said.

To bring its plans to life, Toyota is working with Air Liquide and Iwatani to strengthen fueling infrastructure. With Iwatani, there is an additional focus on commercial vehicles for a state-of-the-art station using new liquid hydrogen technology and SAE J2601/5-capable high-flow fueling systems. The high-flow system enables faster fueling than conventional hydrogen fueling stations, comparable in fueling time with diesel fuel pumps, and especially useful to fleet and commercial customers in helping improve operational uptime.

Toyota and Air Liquide will work together on sourcing and delivering hydrogen molecules from Air Liquide’s dedicated hydrogen mobility plant in North Las Vegas, Nevada, with a focus on supplying the NAPCC station with reliable, affordable liquid hydrogen.

Toyota will also look to build relationships with other companies and organizations in the U.S. as well as those abroad.

In Japan, Toyota Motor Corporation is collaborating with Chiyoda on electrolysis technology, where they are combining their respective expertise in industrial products and plant engineering. Electrolyzers are devices capable of splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, the process to generate hydrogen fuel. Toyota is also looking to extract hydrogen from the methane byproducts derived from animal waste, wastewater treatment plants and landfills.

“Hydrogen is another path to energy independence, security and innovation, expanding how we can move people, goods, information, energy, and society,” Choby said.

Finally, Choby provided an introduction of Toyota’s new, next-generation Gen 3 FC system for its North American debut at ACT Expo. The presentation on the new system outlined a preliminary arrival in the U.S. in or after 2027. The Gen 3 FC system has been designed with versatility in mind, with different sizes and power outputs for commercial, heavy trucking and passenger vehicle applications. The next-gen system is expected to be 20% more efficient and 20% more powerful than the current system.

For heavy truck powertrains, the Gen 3 FC is anticipated to go more than 600,000 miles (1 million kilometers) without a need for major service, a maintenance schedule on par with comparable diesel-powered trucks.

“We envision a stronger hydrogen fueling infrastructure, evolved fuel cell stacks and a whole ecosystem of engaged partners and suppliers who, like us, are in it for the long haul,” Choby said.

The ACT Expo and Conference runs from April 28 to May 1 at the Anaheim Convention Center, and visitors can find Toyota during the Expo period from April 28 to April 30 at booth #4237. For more information, visit Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo.

Toyota Employees Reflect on Their Careers While Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders

What do Toyota employees Lariscia Julion, Justina Thwing, Lavanya Venkatesan and Kate Thompson have in common?

They’re all invested in helping drive forward the next generation of young people in STEM, supporting their teammates in the workplace and giving back to their respective communities.

Each of them is passionate about cultivating a harmonious society where creativity and innovation thrive. What’s more, they value self-care and prioritize spending time with their families. After all, to keep the wheels turning at work, making time for the things that matter is paramount.

Balancing Act

Julion is a quality management systems manager at Toyota whose day-to-day role includes driving quality excellence across North America by setting policies, objectives and processes to achieve them.

The eight-year veteran is also the co-chair of Plano’s Women Influencing and Impacting Toyota (WIIT) chapter.

“Our mission is to contribute to an inclusive Toyota environment,” says Julion. “We are proud to continue this effort by providing opportunities for networking, community engagement and career development.”

Julion enjoys working at Toyota, taking quality time for herself and spending time with family.

“The older I get, the more intentional I am about making time to reflect on my day, week and month,” she says. “This pause allows me to listen to my body and mind and see if my actions are still aligned with my values and goals. Every failure contains a lesson to help us improve. This philosophy has helped me to grow as a person and appreciate and celebrate my achievements along the way.”

Fostering Confidence at Every Turn

Thwing, a production machining manager for Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), can also relate to celebrating wins.

Over the years, she has faced many challenges, and now, after 14 years at Toyota, she is more confident than ever and acknowledges how far she’s come.

“My journey has been full of highs and lows, challenging yet adventurous,” says Thwing. “As the only woman in the room at times, I battled imposter syndrome but reminded myself of my worth and contributions. I’ve been fortunate with new opportunities at Toyota and recognize that I deserve to be here because of my hard work and self-awareness. Reflecting on this, I’ve realized that each challenge has made me stronger and more confident in my abilities.”

Thwing helped start Alabama’s Women in Manufacturing (WiM) chapter, where she’s currently treasurer.

“Professionally, I’m passionate about people,” says Thwing, who also leads WIIT’s recognition efforts on the Toyota North American Advisory Council. “I love helping anyone and everyone. I thoroughly enjoy mentoring and supporting those who aspire to achieve more. It’s incredibly satisfying to see people get promoted or moved into fields that align with their life goals.”

Fueling Opportunities for Future STEM Leaders

Venkatesan, a Toyota national data engineering manager, shares that sentiment about mentoring. She also served as the WIIT STEM lead, where she worked on creating events to fuel the next generation of STEM leaders.

“With our partnership, we are able to host events, give tours of Toyota headquarters and introduce young women to Toyota,” she says. “We have women leaders share their stories and backgrounds, with the hope of inspiring the attendees to potentially pursue a career in STEM or help them define the kind of career they want.”

For example, she and some Toyota leaders have paneled at an intensive eight-week summer program that requires applicants to have high grade point averages. WIIT leaders attend the annual Power 2 the Girl Conference, where Toyota is the presenting sponsor. More than 250 middle and high schoolers from across Dallas County attend the conference “for a transformative day of connection, confidence and career exploration,” according to the Girls Inc. website.

“We are focused on empowering these girls, giving them an opportunity, sharing our brand and paying it forward because these efforts align with Toyota’s values,” Venkatesan says.

Staying the Course While Pushing Boundaries

Empowering women through opportunities and paying it forward are processes that Thompson, a senior engineer at the Production Engineering Manufacturing Center (PEMC), wholeheartedly supports.

“Teams made up of different people bring a variety of viewpoints and experiences, which can lead to more innovative solutions and better problem-solving,” she says. “[Women] contribute unique insights that might otherwise be overlooked.”

She advises women entering the field to build a strong foundation, stay connected, develop soft skills and embrace challenges.
Thompson, who has a passion for motorsports, believes that challenging yourself is the key to advancing and enriching one’s life.

“I took the opportunity to get outside of my comfort zone and try something new,” she says. “I joined the PE Motorsports team and have gained more mechanical knowledge and skills.”

She adds, “Do the scary thing, the uncomfortable thing. It takes courage to start something new or join a new group. Not only will you grow personally and professionally, but you’ll also gain new perspectives and skills that you might not have discovered otherwise.”

Toyota’s Commitment to Enhancing Pollinator Habitat

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, including millions of species of plants, animals, insects, fungi, and microorganisms. It also refers to the complex ecosystems that these species call home, from the smallest wetland to meadows, forests, and oceans. Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support life on Earth. It provides essential services, such as clean air and water, fertile soil, pollination, pest control, food production, and flood control, as well as raw materials for industries in various sectors. All of these are crucial for human wellbeing and survival and account for over half of global GDP.1

“Respect for the Planet” means protecting biodiversity is one of our highest priorities
Even though Toyota’s business does not directly depend on nature in the same way as an agricultural or food and beverage company, we recognize the importance of biodiversity to the lives of our team members, customers, and society in general.

Biodiversity is constantly under threat, whether from deforestation, species extinction or habitat loss. In 2015, the United Nations (UN) established a global goal to protect biodiversity: Goal 15 Life on Land is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to SDG 15, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted in 2022 with 23 action-oriented global targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The targets include conserving 30% of land, sea, and inland waters, restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems, and halving the introduction of invasive species.

According to a recent UN report, some progress has been made on biodiversity, particularly in sustainable forest management and the designation of protected areas. But the overall trend is worsening and there is still much to do.

At Toyota Motor North America (TMNA), we are doing our part to contribute to the achievement of both SDG 15 and the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Biodiversity is one of TMNA’s four environmental sustainability focus areas. We crafted our strategy to leverage the expertise of specialists to help us safeguard species and restore habitats where feasible and broaden the scope of our initiatives in communities to achieve greater conservation results.

Bees, butterflies, and other vital pollinators support biodiversity
Biodiversity is a very broad concept, so we’ve chosen to focus on a group of important species familiar to us all: pollinators. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, flower flies, beetles, and bats. Everyone has encountered at least one. These species are vital to our food supply, with about 75% of crop plants requiring or benefiting from pollination. In fact, every third bite of food that we take is made possible by the efforts of pollinators.2

Pollinators can be found all around us, so we all have opportunities to help protect them. From a single pot of flowers on a balcony to a sprawling acre of land, creating a pollinator garden of any size can help these vital creatures thrive.

Our plan is to enhance 26,000 acres of pollinator habitat
And speaking of habitat, the loss of habitat is one of the most pressing threats facing pollinators. That’s why we have established a target within our current five-year environmental action plan to focus on pollinator habitat enhancement.

The target: to enhance at least 26,000 acres of pollinator habitat in North America between 2021 and 2026. To achieve this target, we are providing support to two nonprofit organizations – the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) and Pollinator Partnership (P2).

Our progress as of the end of FY2024:

Projects Funded by NEEF’s Biodiversity Conservation Grants
With support from Toyota Motor North America (TMNA), the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) has provided nearly $600,000 in grant funding to eight nonprofit organizations working on pollinator habitat enhancement projects in the United States. Five of the grantees have completed their projects, while three grantees will complete their projects by the end of June 2025.

Habitat enhancement projects funded by this grant directly support the creation, restoration, remediation, improvement, and protection of habitats for important pollinator species such as butterflies, bees, bats, and more. Funds are also used to incorporate community outreach and engagement activities designed to educate the public and empower them to create and protect local pollinator habitats.

NEEF, with support from TMNA, awarded three 2024 Biodiversity Conservation Grants to support pollinator enhancement projects on America’s public lands. The grant period started in the summer of 2024 and will run to the end of June 2025:

1. Returning the Regal Fritillary Butterfly to New York (Fund for the City of New York, New York): This project aims to enhance the grasslands of Freshkills Park in Staten Island, New York City, over one year, with the goal of reintroducing the regal fritillary butterfly, which has seen its habitat decline significantly and requires focused conservation efforts to ensure its survival. Freshkills Park is recognized as potentially the only suitable area in New York for regal fritillaries, offering a blend of protected grasslands and accessible public viewing locations.
2. Improving Pollinator Habitat Along the Salmon River (Salmon Valley Stewardship, Salmon, Idaho): The goal of this project is to engage the community in critical monarch habitat expansion along 20 miles of the Salmon River corridor. The project site falls within the Salmon River Breaks Project Area, an 11,000-acre tract that has been treated with prescribed burns, mechanical thinning, and noxious weed removal for the last 13 years.
3. Kentucky Nature Preserve Pollinator Project (Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, Frankfort, Kentucky): This project seeks to improve biodiversity and protect native pollinator species in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region through strategic invasive species management and habitat restoration efforts at Blue Licks State Nature Preserve, Short’s Goldenrod State Nature Preserve, and Kentucky River Palisades/Tom Dorman State Nature Preserves.

Catalina Island Conservancy (Catalina, California)
The Catalina Island Conservancy is dedicated to protecting over 62 miles of untouched beaches and remote coves on Catalina Island. This remarkable landscape is home to more than 60 species of endemic plants, animals, and insects.

With help from nonprofit American Conservation Experience (ACE), invasive plant species were cleared and habitats for the Avalon Hairstreak butterfly, Catalina orange streak butterfly, cuckoo bee, and Allen’s hummingbird were improved across 2,737.5 acres.

The grant also supported several engagement programs as well as the integration of invasive plant management topics into ACE’s K-12 education programs.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Cincinnati, Ohio)
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is home to an award-winning horticulture department, which, in addition to maintaining the Zoo’s botanical garden, also serves neighboring communities by revitalizing parks and playgrounds.

The grant project supported the installation of pollinator gardens in the Avondale community across six pocket parks spanning three acres.

With the help of the grant, the community organized science and engagement events as well as two large-scale volunteer events with Avondale neighbors and TMNA team members. These events were key for increasing public awareness and support for pollinators.

Urban Prairies Project (Westminster, Colorado)
The Urban Prairies Project (UPP) is a collaborative partnership that engages local communities to improve the quality, quantity, and connectivity of pollinator habitat on public open spaces.

With this grant, Butterfly Pavilion staff and volunteers enhanced 1,297 acres of pollinator habitat by planting native species, removing invasive species, collecting seeds from pristine habitat areas, and instituting monitoring programs to track pollinator population change.

UPP was able to magnify their habitat restoration efforts by partnering with local municipalities across Denver, planning volunteer recruitment and training efforts, and hosting community events.

Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy (Louisville, Kentucky)
Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy (LOPC) works to combat invasive species, human impact, and other challenges that jeopardize vital habitats within the city.

This grant funded invasive species management and habitat restoration on 216 acres across 11 parks within the LOPC portfolio. Most notably, Chickasaw Park has a new “Butterfly and Bee” pollinator meadow to honor boxer Muhammad Ali, who once trained there.

The grant also supported several community engagement activities hosted by a network of specially trained park stewards as well as hundreds of local students, corporate volunteers, and park neighbors.

San Joaquin River Parkway & Conservation Trust, Inc. (Fresno, California)
The San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, Inc., (“the Trust”) protects and expands riparian habitats to create a wildlife corridor in California’s Central Valley.

This project enhanced 347 acres of pollinator habitat by supporting understory plantings and seeding at closely connected San Joaquin River Parkway properties.

Volunteers helped with invasive species removal, hand seeding, and planting 4,000 native trees and shrubs. Project days for the Youth Parkway Ambassadors and a service-learning program with a local school provided opportunities for youth to see pollinator habitat restoration up close.

1 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023, Special Edition, United Nations, page 42.

2 The Importance of Pollinator, U.S. Department of Agriculture