Self-Driving Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles at Takanawa Gateway City

Hitachi and JR East have installed a hydrogen fuel cell system at Takanawa Gateway City to charge self-driving mobility vehicles with renewable energy.

Takanawa Gateway City is a new commercial complex centered on Takanawa Gateway Station in the Minato ward of Tokyo, next to Shinagawa Station. The complex is a major redevelopment of a former railway depot consisting of office blocks, residential buildings, shops, a hotel and cultural facilities, and is intended to be a new international business hub.

Part of the new complex was opened to the public on March 27th, with the rest scheduled to open by the spring of 2026.

The hydrogen used to power mobility vehicles at Takanawa Gateway City is produced by means of solar energy at a separate location and stored in cassettes. It is then transported to Takanawa Gateway Station where it is used to power the fuel cell charging system for the mobility vehicles. In the future there are plans to produce the hydrogen on site, to make this system even more sustainable.

The five self-driving vehicles now in use at Takanawa Gateway City are small mobility “iino” vehicles able to carry up to three people and run at a top speed of 5 kilometers per hour. Currently the iino vehicles are used on two routes: a “friendly route” for introducing the use of the mobility vehicle, and a “daily route” that tours around the area with an audio guide.

Article by Michael Lambe. Images courtesy of Hitachi and JR East. All rights reserved.