Toyota develops specially designed Fuel Cell System for Energy Observer’s 2020 Tour

In line with Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050, the Energy Observer demonstrates and shares solutions to champion an ecological and energy transition, supporting tomorrow’s energy networks to make them efficient and applicable on a large scale. As the first French ambassador of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Energy Observer is detecting and promoting positive initiatives and sustainable solutions to design tomorrow’s future, and to prove that a cleaner world is possible.

For the next leg in the journey, Energy Observer and Toyota have worked closely together to introduce Toyota’s leading fuel cell technology in the boat. Toyota Technical Center Europe has especially developed this fuel cell system, using components first introduced in the Toyota Mirai and fitted it into a compact module suitable for marine applications. It will deliver more power and efficiency, but also high reliability to cross the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean this year.

The R&D team in Europe managed within 7 months the design and component production, followed by the build and installation of the compact fuel cell module. This successfully demonstrates the adaptability of the Toyota fuel cell technology to a variety of applications. At the end of last year, the fuel cell module was tested in the boat in the shipyard. Currently, the final full power testing is being done at sea before the Energy Observer sails off for their 2020 Tour mid-February.