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Toyota Fuel Cell Bus to Get Lightweight Roof

Japan’s Toho Tenax Co. has developed a lightweight roof for future Toyota Motor Corp. fuel cell-powered buses.

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Japan’s Toho Tenax Co. has developed a lightweight roof for future Toyota Motor Corp. fuel cell-powered buses.

The multi-material roof is made from a mix of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, aluminum and other lightweight engineering plastics. The supplier, which is part of the Teijin Group’s carbon fibers and composites business, says the design can accommodate complex shapes and be mass-produced in one large piece.

Toho Tenax collaborated with its Teijin Group sister companies GH Craft and Continental Structural Plastics on the design. Toho Tenax provided the carbon fiber and mass-production know-how, GH Craft contributed its molding technology and Continental Structural helped with the multi-material construction.

Toyota unveiled its Sora concept fuel cell bus last month at the Tokyo auto show. The company aims to put at least 100 fuel cell buses into operation by the time the Olympics come to Tokyo in 2020.

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