If you missed it last week, Toyota is developing a hydrogen engine. What so unusual about hydrogen power, you ask. Well, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) aren’t new, and Toyota itself is a pioneer in this, with the Mirai into the second generation now.
Note the engine in hydrogen engine. This is an internal combustion engine we’re talking about, but using compressed hydrogen as fuel instead of petrol/diesel. FCEVs like the Mirai use a fuel cell in which hydrogen chemically reacts with oxygen in the air to produce electricity, which powers an electric motor. Hydrogen engines generate power through the combustion of hydrogen using fuel supply and injection systems that have been modified from a petrol-powered ICE.
Toyota says that except for the combustion of minute amounts of engine oil during driving, which is also the case with gasoline engines by the way, hydrogen engines emit zero CO2 when in use.
So, it’s still eco-friendly, but the hydrogen engine is sweet music to car enthusiasts. Toyota says that combustion in hydrogen engines occurs at a faster rate than in gasoline engines, resulting in good responsiveness. While being great for the environment, hydrogen engines also have “the potential to relay the fun of driving” including through the familiar sounds and vibrations that we love.
This is no mere concept, and the innovative powerplant has been installed in a race car based on the Corolla Sport. The racer will compete under the ORC Rookie Racing banner starting with the Super Taikyu Series 2021 Round 3 NAPAC Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours Race in May.
In the video above, the compressed hydrogen-powered Corolla Sport race car is being tested on track, and we can hear the sound from the 1.6L three-cylinder turbocharged engine clearly. There’s also a rather strange looking mesh on the central exhaust tip.
“It’s not as different as I had expected. It feels like a normal engine,” said test driver Hiroaki Ishiura, who also drives in the Super GT series with Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Zent Cerumo. If he was not told that the engine is powered by hydrogen “I’d probably think this is a normal engine,” he commented.
While electric sources for EVs are often from non-renewable energy sources such as coal (which ironically is not good for the environment), hydrogen is abundant in the air and like battery electric vehicles, nothing comes out from the tailpipe other than water in FCEVs. If electricity is generated purely from renewable sources such as wind or solar, then using an EV would truly be zero-emissions throughout the chain.
If this hydrogen engine concept takes off, we could be having our cake and eating the delicious thing – all that’s good about ICE is maintained, with full eco credentials. What do you think? Surely this idea is worth cheering on.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Like that is crazy.
So you don’t need rely on 1 to 2 Speed Gearbox like EV cars.
Faster refueling, can do Proper Track Race, endurance race, etc.
Not just like 1 nurburgring lap or 0-400 1 kali tekan race..
That corolla is even more sporty than civic ketam which explains why corolla is the best selling car in the entire world…only for those with taste…
Cant go wrong with japanese…Locals with local taste preferred civic turbo & fd sibik. honda got turbo.
If no emission, why behind got exhaust pipe?
Combustion of Hydrogen + oxygen = H2O
The exhaust produces primarily water vapour and some other pollutants like nitrogen oxide because air contains nitrogen.
For the small amount of exhaust gas from the combustion of minute amounts of engine oil during driving (which the current ICE engines are also producing)
Without emission meant no emission, small amount meant got emission cannot claim they have No Emission. That is a lie.
shibarashi
While my college time in the 2000s, Toyota and BMW were developing hydrogen cells powered technology. Almost 20 years passed but no update…
Lol the first paragraph actually mentions the Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car yet you state no update?
But how safe is it though?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b88v-WvqzeQ
Just to refuel using hydrogen alone into the car is much more expensive than petrol/gasoline. Plus the infrastructure cost to build hydrogen refueling station, you’ll figure it out.
Hydrogen is not abundant in the atmosphere. Air is composed of 78% Nitrogen, 20% Oxygen, 1% Argon and remaining 1% of other gases (mostly carbon dioxide). Industrial hydrogen production is mainly achieved through electrolysis, which breaks down water into hydrogen and oxygen using an electric current and thus requires external energy sources.
Nonsense! Industrial oxygen is produced from natural gas, as electrolysis is way too expensive.
It still emits NOX, so it won’t fulfill emission regulations in certain markets.
IIRC NOX is created in super heated and super compressed combustion. Removing the turbo would go a long way to reduce these emissions. CAT converters too.
NO stands for Nitrogen and Oxygen. But Hydrogen get the blame?
Could it be the gold standard of future cars?
Surely not
Thank you Toyota
The Zeppelin’s of the 1910s were already able to run their Maybach engines with hydrogen. Thank you Toyota for using a 100yr old tech.
Who told u this? Led Zeppelin? Actually those old airships used hydrogen gas to become lighter than air (buoyancy) while the engines ran on fossil fuel.
Less reliant on battery pack and associated pollution. Questions is how much energy needed to create hydrogen gas?
Unfortunately they are far less efficient than battery EV. If both are sourced from electricity, hydrogen ICE will only put 20-30% to the wheel. Battery EV is 70-80% efficient.
Remember what kills diesel engine tech and devp recently? NOx! A toxic gas produced in an extreme hot and pressurised condition, when nitrogen gas bonded with oxygen. Small high output turbo petrol engine also said to produce more NOx. So, in hydrogen ICE, NOx won’t be an issue? We hope so…
Where’s,the V8 Hydro?
Ev’s get their power from coal power plants yes.. So? Why not focus on improving power plants instead of more infrastructure = more money for the big guys
Its just good business…they are not running a charity after all.