Toyota has commissioned Yamaha Motor to develop a hydrogen-fueled engine, with the president of the latter stating that his firm was dedicated to the interior combustion engine.  

In an announcement towards the tip of final week, Yamaha mentioned the 5.0-liter V8 engine can be developed for cars and primarily based on the one utilized by the Lexus RC F coupe, with alterations made to its cylinder heads and injectors, amongst different issues.

In keeping with Yamaha, the unit is ready to ship as a lot as 450 horsepower at 6,800 revolutions per minute. The corporate mentioned it had been engaged on a hydrogen engine for cars for roughly 5 years.

Yamaha Motor President Yoshihiro Hidaka mentioned that whereas his firm was aiming to realize carbon neutrality by the yr 2050 it additionally had “a robust ardour for and degree of dedication to the interior combustion engine.”

“Hydrogen engines home the potential to be carbon-neutral whereas retaining our ardour for the interior combustion engine alive on the identical time,” Hidaka went on to say.

Final week’s assertion builds on one from Nov. 2021 when Yamaha Motor, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Toyota, Subaru and Mazda launched particulars of what they described as a “problem to increase gasoline choices for utilizing inner combustion engines.” It was at this announcement that the V8 engine developed for Toyota was proven to the general public.

The notion of powering an inner combustion engine with hydrogen isn’t a brand new one. Toyota has already developed a GR Yaris which has a 1.6-liter ICE and makes use of hydrogen as its gasoline.

In keeping with the corporate, the GR Yaris makes use of the identical powertrain as a hydrogen-powered Corolla Sport. The agency has labeled each of those automobiles as “experimental.”

Corporations akin to BMW have additionally produced automobiles such because the BMW Hydrogen 7. In keeping with the German automaker, the Hydrogen 7 used an inner combustion engine and was capable of run on gasoline or liquid hydrogen. Manufacturing of the automobile started in 2006 and a restricted run was made.

Utilizing hydrogen to energy an inner combustion engine is completely different to hydrogen gasoline cell expertise, the place gasoline from a tank mixes with oxygen, producing electrical energy. Because the U.S. Division of Power’s Various Fuels Knowledge Heart notes, gasoline cell automobiles emit “solely water vapor and heat air.”

In contrast, hydrogen ICEs do produce emissions. “Hydrogen engines launch close to zero, hint quantities of CO2 … however can produce nitrogen oxides, or NOx,” Cummins, the engine maker, says.

Hydrogen ICEs are additionally “much less environment friendly” in comparison with gasoline cell electrical automobiles, in response to the Various Fuels Knowledge Heart.

Whereas there may be pleasure concerning the potential of hydrogen gasoline cell automobiles and corporations akin to Hyundai, BMW and Toyota have all developed vehicles primarily based on the expertise, others inside the trade have taken a special view.

In June 2020, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted “gasoline cells = idiot sells,” including in July of that yr: “hydrogen idiot sells make no sense.”

In February 2021, the CEO of Germany’s Volkswagen Group additionally weighed in on the topic. “It is time for politicians to just accept science,” Herbert Diess tweeted.

“Inexperienced hydrogen is required for metal, chemical, aero … and shouldn’t find yourself in vehicles. Far too costly, inefficient, sluggish and troublesome to rollout and transport. In spite of everything: no #hydrogen vehicles in sight.”