Hydrogen cars are one of the options that Toyota keeps open for a future marked by sustainable mobility. Until now we had seen the experiments of the brand in the world of competition with the Toyota GR Yaris H2 or the Toyota Corolla, but now they have transferred the knowledge acquired to conventional models that any driver could buy in the future. The Toyota Corolla Cross H2 is the first hydrogen-powered road car and has just entered the prototype stage.
For the Toyota Corolla Cross H2, he has chosen the same mechanical scheme as the Toyota GR Corolla and the Toyota GR Yaris. This means that it is equipped with the famous 1.6-liter three-cylinder supercharged engine that develops 261 hp and has a torque of 360 Nm, But instead of using the hydrogen in an electrochemical process to electrically drive the car, it uses it as fuel.
Yes, the Toyota Corolla Cross H2 has a thermal block that uses hydrogen as fuel and for this have modified the injection system and fuel supply because this chemical element burns at a faster rate than gasoline. The tanks and the refueling process are inherited from the Toyota Mirai, but with some nuances because in the saloon the fuel cell generates a reaction that creates the energy necessary for the electric motor.
A car for real life
The Toyota Corolla Cross H2 will be the brand’s first hydrogen vehicle that will test the practicality of this technology in the real world: not surprisingly, it can carry five occupants with their corresponding luggage… and this is something that the models we have seen so far cannot say. In both, the rear seats and the trunk were occupied by the hydrogen tanks and some basic elements for its operation.
Toyota highlights that the Toyota Corolla Cross H2 retains the acoustic and sensory sensations of conventional combustion engines and it is respectful with the environment. And, in addition, it can be manufactured using the production methods of thermal models without forgetting that it reduces the dependence on precious metals such as nickel and lithium, both necessary for electric ones.
lessons learned
From its participation in the Super Taikyu, a racing series held in Japan, Toyota has not only learned valuable lessons, but also improvements that it can apply to hydrogen cars that it could sell in the future. The Japanese brand has significantly improved the efficiency of the hydrogen combustion engine: this was one of the main problems because I was losing both horsepower and torque. Now, it has managed to increase the first by 24% and the second by 33% to place it at the level of gasoline engines.
The autonomy of their competition models was less than that of an equivalent gasoline car, another limitation that they have minimized: Toyota engineers have managed to increase that range by 30% during the season. Similarly, the refueling time was reduced considerably: from about five minutes to just ninety seconds.
future plans
The Toyota Corolla Cross H2 will soon begin winter testing in Japan, but you should tread carefully. Toyota believes that its new hydrogen car has only traveled 40% of the way that separates it from a possible commercialization, since The brand still does not know for sure if it will reach the necessary maturity to be able to bring it to the market.