Toyota’s new hydrogen cartridge: BBQs powered by hydrogen?
Toyota is unveiling a nifty new product at the Japan Mobility Show Bizweek 2024 next week that brings hydrogen out of the high-tech labs and into the hands of everyday people.
Meet the portable hydrogen cartridge – a compact, hand-carriable hydrogen canister that promises to make clean energy as accessible as grabbing a can of Campingaz.
Running from October 15-18, the show will be the first to host this new innovation, aiming to prove that hydrogen can be used for everything from backyard barbecues to emergency power.
Pocket-sized hydrogen
Toyota’s latest creation tackles one of hydrogen’s biggest hurdles: portability. Traditional hydrogen storage is bulky and fixed in place – great for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), but less practical for everyday activities.
That’s where the portable hydrogen cartridge comes in. By shrinking the tech down to a size you can carry with one hand, Toyota is opening the door for hydrogen to power all sorts of daily essentials – from outdoor stoves to portable generators.
Designed with safety and ease of use in mind, these cartridges are a portable energy solution – clean energy on demand, wherever you need it.
Could this be the new top-me-up-I’ve-run-out 5 litre jerry can?
Hydrogen-powered BBQ
To show just how versatile these cartridges can be, Toyota will display a hydrogen-powered cooker (developed with Rinnai Corporation) at the event.
The set-up will use the hydrogen cartridge to fire up a stove for cooking, alongside a fuel cell system to generate electricity.
It’s a perfect decarbonised solution for campers, outdoor enthusiasts, or anyone who wants a sustainable back-up power source.
It’s a cool gadget but it’s also expanding hydrogen’s horizons and normalising its use.
Toyota is betting that if people start seeing hydrogen used in everyday items – like camping gear or emergency supplies – they’ll become more comfortable with the idea of hydrogen-powered ‘everything’.
Building a hydrogen society
For Toyota, the portable cartridge is another step towards their goal for a “hydrogen society”.
The company is pursuing carbon neutrality through a multi-pathway approach, and hydrogen plays a big part in that plan.
It’s not only about powering vehicles anymore – hydrogen is an energy choice that can be available to everyone, for almost anything.
In particular, Japan’s unique energy challenges make this effort all the more important. With limited land and natural resources, the country needs flexible energy solutions that can work across a range of settings.
Toyota’s portable cartridge aims to help fill that gap by providing a practical way to bring hydrogen into homes, businesses, and public spaces.
