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Pizza Hut, Toyota create the 'truck-izzeria' ... er 'pizzaruck'

October 31, 2018

Pizza Hut and Toyota have paired to create a truly one-of-a-kind, zero-emission pizza-making truck, dubbed the Tundra PIE Pro. Through some particularly wicked customization, the automaker and pizza-maker created a mobile pizza factory that can deliver oven-hot pizza wherever it goes. The full-size pizza-making truck was introduced at Toyota's 2018 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas this week.

"We are constantly focused on evolving our processes and systems through improvements and innovations that allow our team members and drivers to better serve our customers," Pizza Hut U.S. Chief Customer and Operations Officer Nicolas Burquier, said in the release. "We are exploring next-generation solutions and automation to support and streamline our delivery business in the future. The Tundra PIE Pro and our work with Toyota are only helping accelerate our commitment to transform both the team member and the customer experience at Pizza Hut." 

The truckbed is actually more aptly a truck kitchen, in this case, and is in fact known as "The Kitchen," since it brandishes a pair of computer-guided robotic arms, conveyor oven and refrigerator. Like the truck itself, all components in The Kitchen are powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell electric powertrain contributing to its claim to fame as a zero-emission vehicle, if you don't count pizza emissions. And on that note, pies take 6 to 7 minutes to churn out through the mobile pizza-maker. 

"Nothing tastes better than a fresh Pizza Hut pizza straight out of the oven," said Pizza Hut Chief Brand Officer Marianne Radley, in the release. "The Tundra PIE Pro brings to life our passion for innovation not just on our menu but in digital and delivery in order to provide the best possible customer experience."

The starting point for the Tundra PIE Pro was a Tundra SR5 that was torn down to a bare rolling chassis and then reassembled from the ground up. The conventional gasoline-powered drivetrain was removed and replaced with a hydrogen fuel-cell electric power unit adapted from the Toyota Mirai.

When a Pizza Hut pizza is ordered, the first robotic arm opens the refrigerator and removes the selected pizza, places it on the oven conveyor, and returns to close the refrigerator door. The pizza is then sent through a high-speed ventless oven. On the far side, a second arm removes the finished pie, places it on the cutting board, divides it into six identical slices, boxes it up, and delivers it to the customer.

Earlier this year, Toyota announced the E-Pallete Alliance, which includes Pizza Hut, and unveiled a fully-autonomous concept vehicle at the Consumer Electronics Show. The Tundra PIE Pro is the second collaboration from the two innovation-driven brands. Pizza Marketplace is working to obtain more details about this latest vehicle and its potential applications, if any.