Toyota will launch a new hydrogen powertrain in a Japanese Corolla Sport-based racing car, to test its potential before eventually introducing the technology on its future road models.
The engine, which will be lined up by Toyota’s latest entry, via Orc Rookie Racing, in Japan’s Super Taikuyu endurance racing series, will make its first competitive outing on May 21-23.
The power plant is a 1618cc three-cylinder unit and is powered by compressed hydrogen. Toyota has used hydrogen in its powertrains before, notably on the Mirai. However, this car uses a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell, which in turn produces electricity to power the engine.
In contrast, the motor previewed in the Super Taikuyu racer does not use electricity; it works like a combustion engine and, in effect, uses fuel supply and injection systems based on gasoline engines.
Toyota says there is an advantage to using hydrogen in this way: namely, combustion in hydrogen engines occurs at a faster rate than in gasoline engines. According to the Japanese firm, this results in particularly good engine responsiveness. However, this is not a completely emission-free process, as NOx is always produced, unlike a hydrogen fuel cell.
Toyota has yet to reveal a timeline for transferring this technology from its track to its road cars, but its claim that the engine is “developed as part of Toyota’s progress towards achieving a mobility society. carbon neutral ”suggests that such a move may be on the horizon.
Although one of the early leaders, the Japanese brand is not the only organization studying hydrogen technology. The UK government last month pledged £ 3million to create the UK’s very first hydrogen transport hub to promote fuel research.
Similarly, Hyundai, of which the Nexo is one of the few hydrogen-powered vehicles currently offered by major brands, recently launched HTWO, a new brand to “help facilitate the global fuel cell business of Hyundai and develop the hydrogen ecosystem ”.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-04-22 16:39:53
