TOYOTA

Company showcases its experimental hydrogen-based combustion engine technology to the multi-award winning GR Yaris

The experimental model's hydrogen fuel, tanks and refueling process are the same as the Mirai, Toyota's iconic fuel cell electric vehicle, available in its second generation since early 2021.

However, while the Mirai uses a chemical reaction in fuel cells to generate energy, this experimental GR Yaris features an internal combustion engine that uses hydrogen as fuel. Although hydrogen combustion engine technology is still at an early stage of conceptual and experimental development, a process that began in 2017 and is not yet ready for commercialization, an experimental hydrogen-based Toyota Corolla Sport is already competing at full speed. performance in automobile tests in Japan.

“The success of the Japanese automobile industry lies in the production of passenger cars. Therefore, manufacturers must participate in automobile competitions to test the durability and performance of their vehicles, and to show their maximum performance. With competition comes progress and excitement among motor enthusiasts. The purpose of the competition is not only to satisfy our curiosity, but above all to foster the development of the Japanese passenger car segment”, Kiichiro Toyoda, founder of Toyota Motor Corporation (March 1952).

The experimental hydrogen-based GR Yaris and Corolla Sport are powered by the same 1.6-litre, in-line 3-cylinder G16E-GTS engine and turbocharger that power the award-winning GR Yaris, albeit with changes to the fuel delivery and fuel system. injection, to be able to use hydrogen as fuel. The experimental hydrogen-based Toyota Corolla Sport has been competing in the Super Taikyu series in Japan since May this year as part of Toyota Gazoo Racing's Rookie Racing program, where the team took on the challenge of testing the experimental hydrogen combustion engine in the demanding competition conditions.

“We took the first step towards competing and developing our hydrogen-based engine, with the mentality of facing the challenge. I imagine things will be a little different in 10 years and I hope that, looking back, people will see that we took on a challenge with a positive attitude and that we made the most of it,” Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation.

The combustion of hydrogen is faster than that of gasoline, which gives rise to a good response, while offering excellent behavior in the environment. In addition to being extremely clean, hydrogen combustion has the added potential of providing a more intense driving experience, thanks to the acoustic and sensory sensations that characterize internal combustion engines.

In order to achieve carbon neutrality, Toyota has been reinforcing its initiatives, for example, promoting the use of hydrogen through the popularization of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and numerous other hydrogen-powered products. Continuing to perfect its hydrogen engine technologies through motorsport, Toyota aspires to an even better hydrogen-based society.

Autonews