Toyota sees a future for hydrogen in vehicles, and not just as a fuel cell for electric motors. The company unveiled the Corolla Cross H2 Concept, equipped with an internal combustion engine designed to burn hydrogen instead of gasoline or diesel.
It’s not just any combustion engine either. Under the hood of this white and blue prototype is a version of the roaring 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder used in the GR Corolla. If you follow Toyota on the racing scene, you’ll know that the Japanese automaker uses a hydrogen-powered Corolla GR in the Super Taikyu endurance series. Toyota also demonstrated in the World Rally Championship (WRC) with a hydrogen-powered GR Yaris H2. Now, the experience gained through motorsport is being transferred to on-road application in the Corolla Cross H2 concept.
9 Pictures
What type of experience are we talking about? Toyota claims to have increased hydrogen combustion power by 24%, bringing it to power levels similar to a comparable gasoline engine. Range is also up 30% and refueling time in racing applications is reduced to just one and a half minutes. It’s still an eternity in a race, but for a small five-passenger crossover, it’s a snap.
Of course, we don’t just dump hydrogen into the tank of a normal Corolla Cross and call it a day. The H2 concept is equipped with a special tank using the experience gained with the production Mirai sedan, the engine using high-pressure hydrogen direct injection technology. Real-world evaluation of this concept is underway, with winter trials in northern Japan beginning soon.
5 Pictures
It’s all part of Toyota’s drive toward carbon neutrality, a process the automaker says won’t be achieved by battery-electric vehicles alone. The development of a Toyota Hilux electric prototype using a hydrogen fuel cell was recently announced, using second-generation fuel cell technology borrowed from the Mirai.
Additionally, Toyota will continue to develop hybrid and plug-in hybrid models as well as electric vehicles for its future lineup. However, the automaker says it is currently not possible to say with certainty whether hydrogen systems will eventually see their maturity on road vehicles.
Toyota sees a future for hydrogen in vehicles, and not just as a fuel cell for electric motors. The company unveiled the Corolla Cross H2 Concept, equipped with an internal combustion engine designed to burn hydrogen instead of gasoline or diesel.
It’s not just any combustion engine either. Under the hood of this white and blue prototype is a version of the roaring 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder used in the GR Corolla. If you follow Toyota on the racing scene, you’ll know that the Japanese automaker uses a hydrogen-powered Corolla GR in the Super Taikyu endurance series. Toyota also demonstrated in the World Rally Championship (WRC) with a hydrogen-powered GR Yaris H2. Now, the experience gained through motorsport is being transferred to on-road application in the Corolla Cross H2 concept.
9 Pictures
What type of experience are we talking about? Toyota claims to have increased hydrogen combustion power by 24%, bringing it to power levels similar to a comparable gasoline engine. Range is also up 30% and refueling time in racing applications is reduced to just one and a half minutes. It’s still an eternity in a race, but for a small five-passenger crossover, it’s a snap.
Of course, we don’t just dump hydrogen into the tank of a normal Corolla Cross and call it a day. The H2 concept is equipped with a special tank using the experience gained with the production Mirai sedan, the engine using high-pressure hydrogen direct injection technology. Real-world evaluation of this concept is underway, with winter trials in northern Japan beginning soon.
5 Pictures
It’s all part of Toyota’s drive toward carbon neutrality, a process the automaker says won’t be achieved by battery-electric vehicles alone. The development of a Toyota Hilux electric prototype using a hydrogen fuel cell was recently announced, using second-generation fuel cell technology borrowed from the Mirai.
Additionally, Toyota will continue to develop hybrid and plug-in hybrid models as well as electric vehicles for its future lineup. However, the automaker says it is currently not possible to say with certainty whether hydrogen systems will eventually see their maturity on road vehicles.
