As fossil fuels turn out to be much less viable, automobile corporations have begun trying to find various gas sources. For the previous 20 years, Toyota has been exploring a novel possibility: hydrogen. While beforehand it had used the primary ingredient to energy an electrical motor, the automaker is now engaged on a brand new know-how. Toyota is at present creating a hydrogen combustion engine and appears to be betting large on it.

Development is properly underway, with a viable prototype already rolling on the highway. Here’s what you want to know.

In order to provide the most modern and correct info potential, the information used to compile this text was sourced from Toyota’s press releases on their new hydrogen engine, in addition to dependable sources like CNBC and Top Gear.

1 The New Engine Was Originally Developed For Racing

One of the principle issues with ecological gas options is a lack of efficiency and sports activities driving. While electrical automobiles have crushed that rap with choices like Rimac’s supercars or Tesla’s famous Plaid edition, the jury continues to be out for hydrogen. However, that will not be a problem with the Toyota H2 engine. The new hydrogen combustion engine has been purpose-built for racing.

Toyota Says The Engine Has Been Tested In “The Crucible Of Motorsport”

• Toyota has used the H2 Hydrogen combustion know-how to develop a number of racing automobiles.
• The GR Corolla H2 competes in endurance racing for the Rookie Racing group.
• The GR Yaris H2 competed within the 2022 Ypres Rally stage of the World Rally Championship.
• Toyota unveiled the GR H2 Racing Concept, a Le Mans racer, on the 2023 Le Mans 24-hour race.

Toyota is devoted to taking its race groups into the way forward for ecological fuels. This is an effective factor for shoppers, because it means the driving expertise of Toyota’s hydrogen choices will not be decided by pencil pushers. Gearheads can rejoice that no less than one firm cares in regards to the efficiency of its post-fossil gas automobiles

2 Road Testing Has Begun

The manufacturing model of the automobile isn’t just a fantasy. Toyota has already put it on the road in a number of nations. They’re testing in a number of climate circumstances to make sure their hydrogen ICE works in addition to conventional ICE.

Winter Testing In Japan And Summer Testing In Australia Have Gone Underway

While testing is happening, there’s nonetheless no official timeline for launch. However, these are late-stage steps of creating a brand new automobile. A possible launch, or no less than the automobile within the fingers of journalists needs to be coming quickly.

3 The Road-going Prototype Has A New Name

Toyota has already put the hydrogen combustion engine into a number of totally different our bodies for racing, and even tested a van utilizing a unique model of the hydrogen combustion engine. The latest model of the engine has now gone into considered one of their latest crossovers.

The Toyota Corolla Cross Hydrogen Concept

• The unique Corolla Cross debuted in 2020, taking the enduring model to a bigger fashion of automobile.
• Currently, the Corolla Cross is obtainable in petroleum ICE and hybrid codecs
• As shopper want developments extra in the direction of SUVs the subsequent logical step is to convey ecological know-how to the format, Toyota is getting forward of the sport.

Toyota is poised to stake its flag into the brand new land of hydrogen combustion automobiles. Using an iconic model like Corolla and the extraordinarily standard small SUV construct is its greatest shot to verify they dominate the burgeoning sphere.

4 The Corolla Cross Concept Sports A 1.6-liter Three-Cylinder Turbo Hydrogen Engine

While the HiAce van had a twin-turbo V-6, the Corolla Cross Concept has a way more modest powerhouse. It has half the cylinders, although it’s nonetheless turbocharged. While this may increasingly sound like a little bit of a letdown, the engine has a pedigree of pace and energy.

This Is The Same Engine As The GR Corolla Race Car

• This engine has been extensively vetted on the racecourse with the GR Corolla H2 race automobile.
• The engine has been utilized in endurance racing, which implies it has been pushed to the restrict in utilization.
• The 1.6-liter engine has additionally been utilized in rally racing, which means it has additionally been pushed to the restrict when it comes to tough highway circumstances.

A race-tested engine ensures high quality. If it might survive endurance racing and rallying, it needs to be completely advantageous for the college run and journeys to the farmer’s market. A 1.6-liter turbo ought to present all of the thrills wanted when the highway will get twisty, however work effectively in the actual world.

5 A V-8 Hydrogen Engine Is In The Works

If the small three-cylinder would not spark your fancy, worry not. Toyota is already trying to construct a bigger and extra highly effective hydrogen combustion engine. It has teamed up with one of many different large Japanese engine producers to do it.

Toyota Has Partnered With Yamaha To Make A Larger, More Powerful Hydrogen Combustion Engine

• The V-8 will probably be greater than thrice the dimensions of the present prototype, at 5.0-liter.
• It is ready to generate 444 horsepower.
• Yamaha and Toyota beforehand partnered to create the Lexus LFA‘s V-10, thought-about among the best engines of the 21st century.
• The engine relies on the Lexus RC-F’s V8.

Yamaha believes that it might assist make hydrogen ICE engines each bit as enjoyable to drive as petroleum-powered ones. It can be engaged on related hydrogen engines for its motorcycles. Yamaha believes their hydrogen ICEs will even sound nearly as good because the gasoline variations.

6 Toyota Sees Hydrogen Combustion As One Of Many Parts Of Its Carbon-Neutral Future

While Toyota believes hydrogen is the very best wager for a zero-emission future, that will not cease them from exploring different avenues. The firm has spent a king’s ransom creating hybrid and electrical know-how, and as hydrogen is way from being commercially viable, they are going to guarantee to get these automobiles to market.

Toyota’s Electric And Hybrid Offerings Are Not Going Anywhere

• Toyota was the top-selling hybrid producer in 2023.
• The Camry, one of many best-selling automobiles on this planet, will probably be an all-hybrid providing from the 2025 mannequin yr on.
• Toyota has developed a 745-mile solid-state battery for its EVs.

With its dominance within the hybrid market and breakthrough EV know-how, Toyota has the power to play the lengthy sport with hydrogen. They are crafting a imaginative and prescient of a inexperienced future utilizing all accessible know-how. As some of the profitable automakers ever, we did not assume they’d be one to place all their eggs in a single basket.

7 This Is Not Toyota’s First Hydrogen Rodeo

Toyota has believed within the vision of a hydrogen-powered future for a very long time. While EVs have been given all of the press in current occasions, it is necessary to keep in mind that electrified automobiles are literally outdated know-how, not new. Hydrogen is a real step ahead in auto-tech, and Toyota has been the spearhead of that growth.

The Mirai Has Been In Production For Almost A Decade

• Toyota has had a manufacturing hydrogen automobile on the highway since 2016 in its Mirai.
• The Mirai has offered over 21,000 copies worldwide by means of 2022.
• The Mirai makes use of gas cell know-how, with hydrogen powering an electrical motor, somewhat than a combustion engine like the brand new prototype.
• There aren’t any plans to sundown the Mirai as of now.

Toyota has had confidence in hydrogen for a very long time. While the gas infrastructure just isn’t massively widespread but, Toyota is aware of having road-going hydrogen automobiles within the public eye is the very best factor to make sure the know-how can achieve relevance and recognition.

8 The GR Corolla H2 Is a Hydrogen-powered Race Car

As talked about, Toyota has used its hydrogen ICE engine to energy race automobiles. Here’s somewhat extra data on the GR Corolla’s hydrogen outings.

Toyota has run the GR Corolla in a number of endurance races

• The GR Corolla H2 utilizing liquid hydrogen debuted on the 2023 Fuji 24 Hours Race
• It has additionally run in a Super Taikyu sequence endurance race in Japan as properly.
• Using liquid hydrogen considerably will increase the vary of the car.
• Toyota and Rookie Racing plan to proceed to run the automobile in additional endurance races as time goes on.

Hydrogen combustion isn’t just a pipe dream. It is a viable engine know-how that doesn’t simply work for road-going automobiles, however racing as properly.

9 Familiar Technology Is Used For The Fuel Tank

One benefit of Toyota’s history in hydrogen-powered automotive engineering is that it doesn’t should develop all new know-how for its automobiles. For the brand new ICE engine, they can use a pre-existing gas system.

The Cross Concept Shares The Mirai’s Hydrogen Packaging System

• The Mirai’s packaging system supplies as much as 400 miles of vary within the gas cell automobile.
• While figures are usually not out, we will assume a comparable vary needs to be accessible within the cross-concept.
• The Mirai’s intelligent packaging signifies that the Cross idea has a comparable quantity of cargo and passenger area to the normal Corolla Cross.

The leveraging of present know-how is simply one other instance of why Toyota leads the hydrogen automotive area. Using a well-tested and confirmed packaging system means we already know that the hydrogen ICE won’t have points with area or vary, like a very speculative know-how.

10 Hydrogen Combustion Leverages Current Fuel Infrastructure

One of the large issues of EVs is charging. Charging factors do not exist and must be constructed. There is not any infrastructure in a lot of the world. Hydrogen automobiles are usually not fairly the identical. They use easy and acquainted know-how.

Hydrogen Cars Refuel Just Like Gasoline Cars, At A Pump

• Hydrogen gas is pretty corresponding to diesel pumps in refueling occasions.
• Liquid hydrogen growth ought to cut back gas occasions even additional, as seen with Toyota’s race automobiles.
• While not an identical, it’s theoretically potential to retrofit present gas pump know-how into hydrogen pumps. It is also a better pivot for the present gas corporations to transition their present gas stations.
• Consumers are acquainted with pump know-how, and familiarity is a straightforward promoting level in new know-how.

While hydrogen automotive know-how just isn’t as far alongside or mainstream as EV tech, it has a robust champion in Toyota. Their imaginative and prescient for a zero-emission future could not relaxation solely on hydrogen, however it will likely be a centerpiece of its future. The new inner combustion hydrogen engines are the subsequent step in that timeline, and positively one thing for the car-loving world to be enthusiastic about.