Toyota Invests In 1980s Classics, But This Time With Hydrogen Engine

Toyota Is Investing In Its Classics From The 80s, Transforming Old Models Into Electric Or Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles. The Multinational Did Not Provide Details Regarding Their Performance.

Recently, Toyota Announced Two Classic Examples From The 80s. The First Is The Corolla GT-S, Also Known As AE86. The Vehicle’s Main Differentiator Is Its Engine. One Of Them Was Developed With An Electric Truck Engine, While The Other Received A Hydrogen Engine, One Of The Japanese Automaker’s Major Bets For The Future.

Learn More About The News Of The Classics From The 80s

The New Model With A Hydrogen And Electric Engine Will Be Featured At This Year’s Tokyo Auto Show, And According To The Automaker, It Is A Major Demonstration That Vintage Cars Can Remain On The Streets Even With Increasingly Stricter Sustainability Standards In Terms Of Emissions.

The AE86 H2 Concept, As The Name Suggests, Uses A Combustion Engine Capable Of Burning Hydrogen Instead Of Gasoline. The Fuel Is Stored In Two High-Pressure Tanks In The Trunk.

Toyota States That The Modifications, Which Include New Fuel Injectors, Spark Plugs, And Fuel Lines, Were Minimized In The Conversion Process Of The Hydrogen Engine Model, Even Retaining The Original Car’s Manual Transmission.

The Second Model Is More Modest And, Named AE86 BEV, Combines The Same Electric Engine Used In The 48-Horsepower Toyota Tundra Hybrid Truck With The Battery Of A Prius Prime Plug-In Hybrid. The Automaker Emphasizes That In Order To Maintain The Project’s Sustainability, The Seats And Seatbelts Were Also Reconstructed Using Recycled Material. So Far, No Performance Figures For The Electric Or Hydrogen-Powered Car Have Been Revealed.

Other Companies Are Also Seeking To Electrify Old Models

In The End, This Type Of Project By Toyota Is Not Unique; South Korean Hyundai Has Also Invested In The Reconstruction Of A Classic With A Hydrogen Engine. The Brand Presented A Retro Concept Last Year, Inspired By The Style Of The Hyundai Pony Coupe From 1974.

Akio Toyoda, CEO Of Toyota, Even Stated At The Event That He Would Like To Support Similar Initiatives In The Near Future. There Are Many People Who Plan To Enjoy Life With Their Favorite Cars. Although The Conversion Technology Of The AE86 Is Still Under Development, Toyoda Hopes To Alleviate The Fear That It Will Not Be Possible To Drive Beloved Cars When The World Becomes Carbon Neutral. On The Contrary, There Is A Path That Can Be Followed.

At The Opening Of The Event, The Toyota Executive Also States That Selling Only Electric Cars Will Not Be Enough To Achieve Carbon Neutrality By 2050. Thus, The Idea Of Converting Polluting Cars On The Streets Could Be A Major Ally In Reducing Emissions.

Toyota May Mass Produce The Hydrogen-Powered Corolla Cross 

Toyota Continues To Invest In A Multi-Energy Approach By Recently Presenting Its New Corolla Cross H2 Model, A Prototype Equipped With A Hydrogen Combustion Engine, To Show That There Are Other Ways To Achieve Emission Neutrality Besides Electric Cars.

In Fact, The Japanese Automaker Is Now Continuing To Focus On Hybrids, Plug-In Hybrids, And Battery Electric Vehicles, However, Without Prioritizing A Single Propulsion System. 

In Its Press Release, The Company Emphasizes That It Offers Its Customers, From Over 170 Countries And Regions Worldwide, The Opportunity To Reduce Their Carbon Emissions Currently, Regardless Of Their Daily Demands Or Location. The Corolla Cross, Which May Enter Mass Production, Features A Turbocharged 1.6-Liter 3-Cylinder Engine From The GR Corolla With High-Pressure Hydrogen Direct Injection Technology.