Earlier this year, the Japanese automaker announced that, to play its part in the shift to a carbon-neutral society, it is in the process of developing a hydrogen engine. Rival automakers such as Ford and Honda are also exploring the technology as another zero-carbon alternative to conventional fossil fuel-based internal combustion engines.
Fuel cell electrified vehicles, such as Toyota’s Mirai, contain a fuel cell in which hydrogen reacts with oxygen to produce electricity to power an electric motor. However, hydrogen engines generate power through the combustion of hydrogen using fuel supply and injection systems similar to those found in conventional vehicles. Hydrogen engines burn hydrogen as their fuel, releasing no harmful products. A major advantage of hydrogen engines is that minimal adjustments are required from conventional internal combustion engines, aside from necessary changes to fuel piping and injection systems.