Toyota Caetano Portugal (TCAP) has become the direct shareholder of two Portuguese companies — bus manufacturing and sales company CaetanoBus, and car financial services company Finlog — to accelerate the uptake of hydrogen mobility.

The announcement of transport decarbonisation policies by more European countries and cities is expected to lead to the rapid electrification of commercial vehicles — in particular buses.

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) will therefore continue to expand its commercial zero-emission mobility products and services by “leveraging CaetanoBus’s long-established business and recent success in the development and sale of zero-emission buses”.

TME already supplies Toyota fuel cell technology to CaetanoBus. This has been integrated into the company’s first hydrogen bus, which has a driving range of 250 miles.

As a result of the enhanced alliance, TME will begin the development, production and distribution of Toyota fuel cell buses, thereby “helping promote further development of a hydrogen society”.

In addition, Finlog will develop a full lease programme for the bus business. Jose Ramos, CEO of TCAP said: “We are happy with this opportunity to expand the historical partnership we have with Toyota in the bus business.

“Together with CaetanoBus, we believe we can strongly contribute to the development of the hydrogen society, by exchanging our know-how and human resources and by introducing the well-known Toyota Production System (TPS).”