Toyota GR Yaris: now it will also run on hydrogen

Brands are constantly working to advance towards cleaner mobility. And in the case of Toyota, they have a particular interest in hydrogen mobility. The Toyota Mirai is the model that uses hydrogen to power a fuel cell that generates electricity to drive the electric motor. But the technology they have used to transform the Toyota GR Yaris to run on hydrogen is very different.

This powertrain will be used for the brand’s participation in endurance racing. It is a powertrain that has a lot in common with the conventional one, since it is an engine adapted to run on hydrogen instead of traditional fuel.

The engine conversion keeps the injection system, but this supplies hydrogen, which can be burned by the engine to power the car. This Toyota GR Yaris will feature this hydrogen-powered engine, which will first debut in a Toyota Corolla Sport during the Super Taikyu endurance championship.

Afterwards, the supercharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine of the Toyota GR Yaris will be used for various tests. The Toyota engineers assure that hydrogen combustion in an engine of this type occurs at a faster rate than with petrol, so performance is higher. In addition, hydrogen does not produce carbon dioxide, which is good news in terms of pollution. That said, it still emits nitrogen oxide particles, so it is not completely clean.

If this type of engine ends up working, it could be used in production cars, and this could keep combustion engines running on this fuel for longer, as it will be far less polluting than those running on petrol or diesel. The technology could reach production within a few years and could be a good alternative if pressurised hydrogen becomes more widely available at refuelling stations.

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