Toyota Tacoma H2-Overlander wins hearts by running on hydrogen and making its own water

Posted on 04/11/2025 by Gaurav Sood

An ultimate overlanding rig has its own perks: goes anywhere, even where roads disappear; lets you camp under the starriest skies; and provides the comfort of a home on wheels. However, when it comes to the environment, overlanding vehicles are major gas guzzlers, leaving behind emissions that pollute even the cleanest of places. To address this, Toyota has taken a step in the right direction: it has prepared the Toyota Tacoma H2-Overlander concept, which is winning hearts not for its looks, but for its ability to breathe hydrogen and exhale water.

The concept vehicle is a badass overlanding rig with 547 horsepower that’s set to take you distances with its hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric powertrain, which leaves only water as tailpipe emissions. It’s perhaps this hydrogen fuel-cell technology that earns the concept its H2 moniker, with which it is going to debut at the SEMA show at the Las Vegas Convention Center between November 4 and 7.

Designer: Toyota

Tacoma H2-Overlander is a result of the technical expertise of Toyota Motor North America R&D (TMNA R&D), and is built by the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) engineering teams in California and North Carolina. The concept, based on the mid-size Tacoma pickup platform, is engineered especially for the SEMA show to showcase the viable potential of hydrogen fuel cells and their possible use case in an extreme adventure vehicle.

Toyota’s latest hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion system replaces the internal‐combustion engine or traditional battery-electric drivetrain in the Tacoma H2-Overlander that runs on compressed liquid hydrogen to power the 24.9 kWh lithium-ion battery and its 547-horsepower dual electric motor. The resultant output of the exhaust is pure water, and unlike the traditional battery, the liquid hydrogen tank takes far less time to refill. It can, Toyota affirms, be refilled in minutes like the conventional gas tanks.

Like you’d imagine, Toyota isn’t calling the Tacoma H2 an overlanding rig, just for the sake of it. It actually is designed with its own rooftop pop-up tent made from lightweight carbon fiber panels. The details about the configuration of the rooftop tent are scanty at the moment, but we learn that it has a bed, a mini fridge, and a gas grill, running on the same hydrogen powering the vehicle itself. The ride flaunts a splendid lightbar and a heavy-duty winch. But what’s really interesting about the concept Overlander is that it is an exhaust water recovery system. This essentially collects the water vapors released by the tailpipe (produced by hydrogen fuel cell combustion), and then fills it to be used by the occupants at camp.

The Toyota Tacoma H2-Overlander is provided with custom 17-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch all-terrain tires. The rig offers up to 300 miles of range on a full hydrogen tank, which can be refilled in under five minutes. According to the press information, the overlander comes with two NEMA 14-50 outlets on the bedside, which can be used to recharge up to two EVs simultaneously or even power a home with up to 15 kilowatts of output.

The post Toyota Tacoma H2-Overlander wins hearts by running on hydrogen and making its own water first appeared on Yanko Design.

Toyota celebrates NFL partnership with the Ultimate Tailgate Tundra featuring satellite internet

Posted on 13/11/2024 by Gaurav Sood

SEMA Show in Las Vegas concluded with much fanfare this past weekend. The humungous gathering of automotive enthusiasts and aftermarket professionals was taken aback when Toyota unwrapped the Ultimate Tailgate Tundra. Part of Toyota’s exciting vehicles in Vegas, the Tundra is way beyond anything we have seen in the past: It’s an inspiring new vehicle designed as an audio-visual powerhouse for sports fans and adventurers.

Designed per se for tailgating parties that are nothing without a game of football; the Tundra is a tribute to the Japanese automaker’s partnership with the National Football League. As an official partner, Toyota has done great deals with NFL, now by offering this tailgating extravaganza, the company is giving fans a reason to uplift their fandom.

Designer: Toyota

If you’re an NFL fan, you know the significance of those pre-game gatherings – booze, large screen displays, and aggressive conversations – I feel chills running down my spine even as I write. The atmosphere is electrifying and unescapable, but some of us want that secluded space with a bunch of friends in the parking lot or out in the wilderness. That’s what the Tundra with tailgating entertainment system intends to target.

By offering the ultimate rig for the outdoors, Toyota is ensuring a fan never misses a game no matter how distant he is from the pitch or the confines of his home. Ultimate Tailgate Tundra is a pickup truck that would transport small tailgating get-togethers into a theatre-esque live game showdowns. On the staging shell powered by four electric actuators – rising up from the truck bed at the push of a button – are five 55-inch weatherproof outdoor screens that combine to give you the ultimate audio-visual experience on the move.

Tyler Litchenberger, Toyota Vehicle Marketing and Communication manager informs, “This build is more of an audio-visual experience than a typical tailgate setup. We wanted to create something that not only draws attention to the truck, but is also an activation that invites people to experience the Toyota Tundra as the ultimate sporting and adventure machine.”

The five screens that work in tandem and are viewable from almost 180-degree angles are provided with exceptional audio combinations. The JBL Club Marine Series tower speakers draw power from the Club Marine A5055 amplifier and a Marine 600 amplifier drives two 10-inch subwoofers. The experience would be worthless without a generator powering the entire setup that runs on satellite-based Wi-Fi connectivity onboard.

The post Toyota celebrates NFL partnership with the Ultimate Tailgate Tundra featuring satellite internet first appeared on Yanko Design.

Modellista brings insane overlanding capabilities to Land Cruiser 2025 that’s dressed to impress

Posted on 10/11/2024 by Gaurav Sood

At SEMA 2024 the newly launched Toyota Land Cruiser 2025 model saw a chunky makeover thanks to the in-house bred Japanese aftermarket company Modellista, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. The Overland Vision Concept is one of the prototypes shown off by Toyota at the automotive mecca.

The vehicle is modded to bring extreme overlanding capability to the otherwise benign Land Cruiser. According to Modellista their core vision behind this design is to explore the potential of the brand in the U.S. If they intend on achieving what they’ve set their eyes on, the ultra-rugged Land Cruiser model will be a reality in the future pitted against the futuristic Cybertruck.

Designer: Modellista

This concept is a heavily armored vehicle that made heads turn at the SEMA show for its Cyberpunk look and bold character. It comes with an array of inclusions like aggressive off-road tires, lower body panels, fender flares, skid plates, a lift kit, headlight protection, side-carrying containers, a roof-mounted tent and a centrally mounted ladder. The aftermarket specialist made judicious use of amber green LED lights and a full-width light bar above the grille. These green LED accents extend to the whole front fascia and rear section to lend the ride an intimidating persona.

Overland Vision Concept has brush wires all around to protect against dents and scratches from exposure to the tough off-roading adventures, a dystopian future, or an apocalyptic warzone. Modellista has given the grille a good treatment of the TOYOTA logo with the Land Cruser branding below the bumper. The vehicle carries a two-tone theme in black and silver spilling over to the dark black tinted windows which make it a good candidate for a VVIP entourage.

It’ll be exciting to see how American adventure lovers see this lucrative Overlander pitted against the likes of the Ford F150 Raptor, Land Rover Defender, Jeep Gladiator, or Toyota Tacoma!