There are several stumbling blocks to the widespread adoption of hydrogen as a fuel source, but Toyota may have come up with the ideal solution. Ahead of the 2024 Japan Mobility Show, Toyota has announced what it will be exhibiting at the event: a new sweep energy storage system that helps to extract all the energy storage potential of used batteries, its hydrogen-powered GR Corolla racecar, and a portable hydrogen cartridge. Toyota knows that FCEV tanks are large and heavy and that there are not enough refueling stations, but with a swappable tank, getting back to full range can be only a matter of minutes.

Multiple Potential Applications

While we're most interested in automotive applications, Toyota has also developed a hydrogen-powered cooker in collaboration with Rinnai Corporation. These cartridges can either be used as fuel cells to generate electricity, or they can be used to store combustible hydrogen gas, and Toyota is hopeful that ideas like these will "make hydrogen a familiar and safe energy source that can be used in a variety of everyday situations."

Toyota is also looking to collaborate with other companies to see where these hydrogen cartridges could have other applications, realizing that for hydrogen power to become accepted globally, people need to become familiar with using it in every imaginable facet. This is part of Toyota's "multi-pathway approach" to decarbonization; the automaker believes that battery-electric vehicles are not the only smart route to a clean planet.

Hydrogen In Racing

Toyota believes that the best way to make better everyday cars is to start by developing them on the racetrack, and that applies to the improvement of emerging technologies, too. Toyota has revealed a hydrogen-powered Le Mans-type racecar concept that runs on combustion, and it's continually developing its aforementioned hydrogen GR Corolla in the Super Taikyu Series.

In addition, the Japanese automaker recently reached an agreement to co-develop hydrogen technology with BMW, building on all that it has already learned with the Mirai FCEV. Hopefully, this exhibition will lead to more collaborations and more real-world applications for hydrogen, and as Toyota has already shown, an H2-powered future can sound awesome.

By Sebastian Cenizo

PUBLISHED OCTOBER 9, 2024 ON CARBUZZ

Comments (0)

There are currently no comments.