Toyota testing hydrogen combustion engines in race cars.
Toyota said it is testing hydrogen combustion engines in race cars as it works toward using the technology in commercial products.
Such engines burn hydrogen as fuel instead of gasoline, much like rockets. The Japanese automaker said testing the technology in race cars will allow it to collect data and try to fix problems on-site.
Toyota Motor Corp. announced earlier that it was developing a hydrogen combustion engine, which Ford Motor Co. and other automakers have also developed. Vehicles powered by such engines are different from fuel cell vehicles that use hydrogen to create electricity, and from electric or hybrid vehicles.
Naoyuki Sakamoto, chief engineer of the hydrogen-powered engine Corolla model, said in an online news conference.
We want to propose multiple options to meet regional needs.
Sakamoto declined to say when the hydrogen combustion engine may become a commercial product, acknowledging further development is needed to address its so far limited driving range. Infrastructure for fueling such vehicles is another obstacle. Toyota has not released the range or mileage for the technology.
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Toyota testing hydrogen combustion engines in race cars, Tokyo, October 25, 2021
