According to CNBC, Toyota officials recently announced that they will collaborate with Isuzu, Hino Motors and Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation on the development of the new type of vehicles.

Fuel cells-powered light trucks can prove to be very useful for supermarkets and small convenience stores, as Toyota explains that they are "required to drive long distances over extended hours to perform multiple delivery operations in one day."

The companies also take into account fast refueling technologies, as they are mandatory for this class of vehicles, since they will be travelling for many kilometers every day.

"The use of FC [fuel cell] technology, which runs on high energy density hydrogen and has zero CO2 emissions while driving, is considered effective under such operating conditions", Toyota officials added.

The Japanese carmaker stated that hydrogen-powered light commercial trucks are expected to be introduced after January 2023, with the Fukushima Prefecture and Tokyo being the pilot test sites.

Toyota has been working on fuel cell-based vehicles since 1992 and the company introduced the Mirai in 2014, its first hydrogen-powered car.

As it looks to introduce fuel cell buses in Europe in the future, Toyota is also testing the technology on the Sora platform.