Toyota's new hydrogen combustion engine

[mudpuddle]

This engine puts out enough power for a one ton truck!

[Shermann]

1. Five minutes of fluff, then seems to focus on cool engine sounds and comparisons with EV's

How about a comparison with their hydrogen fuel cell vehicle? That's the interesting comparison. Is the range more or less? What about cost?

I suspect there are big time problems with hydrogen fuel cells for Toyota to develop this approach. They are bringing back many of the worst aspects of ICE's (complexity, cost, maintenance, engine oil?). Why?

[CentralMass]

2. Using hydrogen is not efficient, economical, or comparatively environmentally friendly compared to

alternatives.

It takes about 48kWh of electricity to electrolyze 1kg of hydrogen and another 4 or 5 kWh to compress it, about 52kWh total.
One kg of hydrogen contains 33.4kWh of energy, the equivilent of one gallon of gasoline which contains 33.7kWh of energy. It requires 2X to 3X more electricity to produce hydrogen for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle vs charging an EV and even more for use in an internal combustion engine running on hydrogen.


The Toyota Mirai Toyota's HFCV gets 66 mpg-e. Meaning it can travel 66 miles on 1kg of hydrogen. In CA, one of the few states with hydrogen fueling stations, hydrogen has ranged from about $16/kg to $26/kg over the last few years.

For comparison an efficient EV like the Tesla Model 3 gets 140 mpg-e and uses ~0.24 kWh/mile of electricity. On the same 52 kWh of electricity it takes to produce the 1kg of hydrogen that the Mirai can travel 66 miles on the Model 3 can travel
52kWh ÷ 0.24kWh/mile = 217 miles. Over three times as far.

[mudpuddle]

3. Thanks for the technical info!

That is exactly the analysis that helps explain challenges to this alternative fuel.
I did a bit more research, and found that alternative sources of producing hydrogen fuel are also underway. Hysata is working on a process developed at an Australian university:

“Our technology will enable hydrogen production of below USD 1.50 per kilogram by the mid-2020s"
https://renewablesnow.com/news/hysata-says-its-efficient-electrolyser-can-cook-green-h2-for-less-than-usd-150kg-777168/

[CentralMass]

4. I hope that the research pans out.

[Old Crank]

5. Hydrogen is an uphill reaction

It is 18%- 48% efficient depending on source and end use.

One issue as stated earlier is the vehicle complexity issue. ICE engines arre very complex. This will be th same. New engines are vey dependable, especially compared with engines from the 1970s era. But not nearly as dependable as electric.

I think they started the development when electrics were struggling to get much over 100 miles between charges. They couildn't project the vast changes in battery technology that has dramatically increased range.

Another poster was correct. They could have spent 2 minutes and covered the information that was meaning ful.