Toyota Tests Hydrogen Fuel Technology In Yaris GRS Prototype

Toyota already has the fuel-cell powered Mirai on offer and now it is also developing a hydrogen-fueled combustion engine, which is being tested in the GR Yaris prototype.

By Shubham Parashar

1 mins read

Published on December 3, 2021

Highlights

The Toyota Yaris prototype is the company's 2nd hydrogen combustion car.
The 1.6-liter 3 cylinder turbo engine in the Yaris has been modified.
It mostly emits zero CO2 and a very small amount of engine oil combustion

Battery Electric vehicles and Hydrogen Fuel Cell are destined to be two of the most sought-after technologies in future and that's substantiated by the latest WCOTY 2022 survey which says that both technologies are likely to be well-accepted across the globe and in all markets. While BEVs certainly have caught the fancy of both carmakers and buyers, the Hydrogen Fuel tech is a work-in-progress and Japanese brands like Toyota are actively working in this direction. Toyota already has the fuel-cell powered Mirai on offer and now it is also developing a hydrogen-fueled combustion engine, which is being tested in the GR Yaris prototype. Also Read: World Car Jurors Expect Battery Electric Vehicles To Remain The Number One Trend In 2022 The engine mostly emits zero CO2 emissions, though a very small amount of engine oil can combust over its normal operation. The new 1.6-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged engine in the Yaris has been modified with new supply and injection systems for the pure hydrogen fuel. The Toyota Yaris prototype is the company's second hydrogen-fueled combustion car. Earlier this year, the company revealed an experimental Corolla with the same modified 1.6-liter Yaris-sourced engine. The engine mostly emits zero CO2 emissions, though a very small amount of engine oil can combust over its normal operation. That said, the emission level is much reduced compared to petrol-powered motors. Also Read: Toyota Hilux Pick-Up India Launch In 2022: Report The emission level is much reduced compared to petrol-powered motors. The combustion engine which at present is also competing in Japan's Super Taikyu race series, retains some of the greatest aspects of traditional cars, their sound for instance. The tech could allow automakers to achieve almost zero-emissions without reducing the driving experience. Toyota has been developing combustion hydrogen engines since 2017, but it is yet to be commercialised. There are only few hydrogen-fuel cell powered vehicles on the road and a combustion engine running on hydrogen fuel is still a distant future. That said, we can still expect Toyota to introduce this technology commercially in the next-gen Prius.