Toyota unveils prototype Corolla Cross hydrogen combustion engine car

Toyota unveils prototype Corolla Cross hydrogen combustion engine car

December 12, 2022 21 By John Max

The concept vehicle was developed with an H2 tank and enough room for 5 passengers and luggage.

The engineering team at Toyota has recently unveiled a new prototype hydrogen combustion engine car called the Corolla Cross H2 Concept.

The vehicle is based on the GR Corolla equipped with a 1.6l 3-cylinder turbo engine.

That car was equipped with a hydrogen combustion engine with direct injection technology from motorsport activity, in addition to an H2 tank based on the expertise gained from the development and launch of the Mirai. This car has enough room for 5 passengers as well as their luggage.Toyota Corolla Cross H2 Concept

Images Credit:KKPCW(Kyu3), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The new H2 vehicle is still a prototype. Its evaluation under real world conditions is currently underway, even as its digital development is continuing. The car is slated to begin its winter testing in northern Japan very soon.

The hydrogen combustion engine design was chosen for a number of benefits it can provide.

Among the top advantages offered by H2 internal combustion engines (ICEs) is that they provide the capacity to leverage existing ICE technologies in addition to rapid refueling times and a notable decrease in the use and requirement for rare and expensive elements of which there is a limited supply, such as lithium and nickel (required for battery production). Adaptation of existing technologies and reaching further into existing investments gives H2 ICE tech the chance to provide a faster and more accessible carbon reduction solution, said Toyota.

According to the automaker it has arrived at approximately 40 percent of the distance along the road to commercializing vehicles such as the new Corolla Cross H2 Concept. There is no way to tell at this point if the tech will reach mainstream use in the passenger vehicle market, but Toyota is highly confident in the opportunity it presents in motorsports.

Earlier in 2022, Toyota took part in all Super Taikyu endurance races in Japan (by way of the Rookie Racing team) using the GR Corolla H2 with a hydrogen combustion engine. Throughout the events, Toyota President Akio Toyoda drove in every race under the master driver pseudonym “Morizo”, providing him with a firsthand opportunity to evaluate and contribute to the vehicle’s development.

rearview of toyota corolla cross h2Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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