As anyone who's attempted to get the coronavirus vaccine knows, it's not that easy, even in a developed nation like the United States. Now imagine how difficult it is to distribute vaccines to remote parts of the world, especially ones that require freezing storage temperatures. That is why Toyota is working with B Medical Systems to build a dedicated mobile vaccine refrigerator.

To ensure that this vehicle can make it to the furthest reaches of the globe, it will be based on the Toyota Land Cruiser, but not the plushy SUV model we get in the US. Instead, the refrigerator will find a home in the 70 Series Land Cruiser, a much older model that has been on sale for more than 30 years. The J70 Land Cruiser is more utilitarian than the modern J200 model and is known for its outstanding capability and durability.

The newly-developed transport vehicle has already received performance, quality, and safety (PQS) prequalification for quality of medical devices and equipment by the World Health Organization (WHO). The PQS system was developed to ensure quality standards for the United Nations' medical arm. Not only will this new vehicle be able to distribute mandatory vaccines for infants to developing nations, but it will also be instrumental in helping transport the Covid-19 shot.

Instead of a typical pickup truck bed, the Land Cruiser 78 now features a B Medical Systems CF850 vaccine refrigerator in the back. This refrigerator boasts a 396-liter (14-cubic foot) capacity, which is enough to hold 400 vaccine packages. Using an independent battery, the fridge can run for 16 hours, and it can charge from the vehicle while driving. When stopped, it can be plugged into an external power source to run longer. We already know that the Land Cruiser is up for the job, with a tried and true 4.5-liter turbodiesel V8 under the hood, producing 202 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque.

Each year, 1.5 million children die due to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). With this new Land Cruiser, Toyota and B Medical Systems hope to reach those children to save lives. And we can't think of a better vehicle in which to do it.