Two major car manufacturing companies Toyota and Yamaha are working on a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine. This hydrogen-powered engine will be a modified version of the Lexus RC F with a 5.0-liter V8 unit. It is expected that the engine can be able to produce 444bhp without using a drop of petrol.
Purpose of this engine
The project formed a wider collaboration among other renowned manufacturers like Kawasaki, Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, and Yamaha. The main purpose of this project is to develop alternative fuel options from sustainable raw materials so that future generations can utilize carbon-neutral technology for a better environment.
Specification of this hydrogen-powered engine
When Toyota called Yamaha to initiate this hydrogen-powered engine design project, they selected the Lexus RC F’s 5.0-liter V8 unit as a starting point. Though the block of this engine followed the same design, the fuel injectors are slightly different. Yamaha has made some modifications to cylinder heads and intake manifold. Because the main purpose of this engine is to allow it to run on compressed hydrogen.
This hydrogen-powered engine is topped off by an eight-into-one exhaust manifold. This immaculately fabricated manifold is a great feature of this engine. Yamaha has managed 444bhp from this engine. When powered by petrol it can produce only 13bhp. The unit of this engine develops 540Nm of torque which is 20Nm more than the regular powertrain.
What do companies say?
Yamaha Motor’s executive Yoshihiro Hidaka, said, “We are working toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. At the same time, ‘Motor’ is in our company name and we accordingly have a strong passion for and level of commitment to the internal combustion engine.”
Hidaka also said, “Hydrogen engines house the potential to be carbon-neutral while keeping our passion for the internal combustion engine alive at the same time. Teaming up with companies with different corporate cultures and areas of expertise as well as growing the number of partners we have is how we want to lead the way into the future.”
A spoke person from Yamaha’s Technical Research and Development Centre Takeshi Yamada said, “This is a challenge we can sink our teeth into as engineers and I personally want to pursue not just performance but also a new allure for the internal combustion engine that the world has yet to see.”