Hino’s Portable Refueling Station Keeps Mirai Going
The Australia-designed Hino truck features a purpose-built trailer with a generator and a hydrogen compressor able to cool and pressurize hydrogen before being supplied to the Mirai sedan.
Hino Australia produces the country’s first mobile hydrogen refueling station to be used as a support vehicle for three Toyota Mirai fuel-cell sedans.
The Hino 700 Series SS2848HR ProShift carries the hydrogen system as a temporary measure to cover the lack of refueling infrastructure in Australia.
It features a purpose-built trailer with a generator and a hydrogen compressor able to cool and pressurize hydrogen to 10,150 psi (700 bar) before being supplied to the Mirai sedan. Hydrogen also can be provided at lower pressures to suit other vehicles, including forklifts.
Ensuring the safety of operators and other road users, the Hino 700 Series has been specified for dangerous-goods transport and features a vertical exhaust, flame-proofed wiring and other safety measures.
Designed to transport the hydrogen refueler and a Mirai sedan, the Hino 700 Series can be reconfigured to transport up to 10 tons of hydrogen and nitrogen gas bottles.
The trailer was jointly designed in Australia by Hino, a truck maker majority-owned by Toyota, and the Japanese automaker. It was fabricated in Victoria by MaxiTrans at its manufacturing facility.
Bernie O’Connor, Toyota Australia’s fuel-cell project sponsor, says it is the first high-pressure hydrogen refueler in Australia that can completely fuel an FCEV.
“This is a practical and necessary measure to allow people around Australia to learn about and experience the game-changing Mirai and its groundbreaking technology firsthand,” O’Connor says in a statement.
Daniel Petrovski, product strategy manager-Hino Australia, says Hino’s product and marketing department provided resources to design and coordinate production of the refueling station.
Petrovski says supporting the Toyota Mirai is in line with the company’s forward vision.
“Closely following the 10th anniversary of our Hino Hybrid truck, Hino Australia’s involvement in other clean-energy initiatives backs our commitment to work towards a more sustainable transport industry,” he says.
In Japan, Hino is “prototyping” fuel-cell bus technology closely related to the Mirai’s hydrogen fuel-cell system, Petrovski says.
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