Under the trend of energy conservation and emission reduction around the world, various brands have joined the ranks of electric vehicles, and a very small number of car companies are still actively looking for other directions, and Toyota is one of them.
At the Winter Olympics, which ended yesterday, Toyota, as a vehicle partner, provided a service fleet of more than 2,000 units for this purpose. The 140 Toyota Mirais stand out, and we've never been exposed to hydrogen vehicles before.
Toyota's obsession with hydrogen energy has long been no secret, and recently it was reported that Toyota and Yamaha are collaborating on the development of a hydrogen-powered 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine to better solve the carbon neutrality problem through new fuels.
Last year, Akio Toyoda competed as a racing driver in Japan's 2021 Super Endurance Race, in which he drove a hydrogen-powered race car.
Subsequently, Toyota decentralized this racing technology to the people and launched a hydrogen GR Yaris mass production car, which is exactly the same as the hydrogen racing car that competed.
The collaboration between the two did not happen overnight, and the most famous case is none other than the famous LFA, whose unique voice line makes every car fan unforgettable. The famous 4.8-liter V10 self-priming engine, the 1LR-GUE, was produced by Toyota and Yamaha.
Although the new fuel was used, this engine was not newly developed, but was based on the 5.0L V8 engine used by the Lexus RC F. By replacing the parts, it is changed to a hydrogen fuel internal combustion engine, and the hydrogen gas is injected to generate power from the engine.
In terms of power, according to Yamaha, the hydrogen-powered V8 engine can produce 450 horsepower at 6800 rpm. Compared to the gasoline version of the 477 horsepower is very close, the maximum torque is even greater.
In addition to the power, considering the sound wave problem, it is fortunate that Toyota and Yamaha have great obsession with this and hope to maintain a high-pitched roar in the future.
Takeshi Yamada, an engineer at Yamaha, explains, "All the people who came to test drive the prototype were skeptical at first, but ended up with a big smile on their faces when they got out of the car. As I looked at this, I began to believe that the properties of hydrogen-powered engines actually had enormous potential, rather than simply using them as an alternative to gasoline engines. ”
As we all know, hydrogen is considered the most ideal clean energy source in the 21st century. Hydrogen-fueled vehicles emit only water during their travels, hence the ultimate answer to being called "zero emissions." However, due to many factors such as energy replenishment, large-scale promotion has not been delayed.
There is no doubt that the future belongs to new energy, and pure electric power is not all. Although the motor can easily experience the acceleration pleasure of less than 5 seconds, the roar of the internal combustion engine is irreplaceable. If Toyota's hydrogen energy internal combustion engine can be mass-produced, it may be the best answer between fun and environmental protection.