Back in April, Toyota unveiled its zero-emission Project Portal, a semi-truck powered purely by hydrogen and set to be part of a feasibility study this summer.
Beyond having the obvious advantage of not emitting anything other than water, Toyota’s fuel-cell truck has another key advantage over traditional diesel-powered trucks: as the video below shows, it is significantly quicker off the line.
Now you may be asking yourself, so what if a fuel cell truck is faster than a diesel one? After all, these vehicles aren’t about straight-line performance, right? Well, while that may be true, it also demonstrates that been green doesn’t come with any compromises in performance – quite the opposite, in fact.
The electric motors of Toyota’s Project Portal deliver maximum torque from the moment the throttle is depressed and, unlike diesel trucks which can often have 18 gears, the Toyota has only one, allowing for smooth and seamless acceleration. What’s more, it is also significantly quieter than a diesel alternative, simply humming along as it picks up speed.