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The alliance named 'Team Japan', of Japanese manufacturers Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Kawasaki and Yamaha, seeks alternatives to keep the combustion engine market active in the world
Some Japanese manufacturers have come together to create an alliance, whose purpose is to keep the internal combustion engine alive. The alliance formed by Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Kawasaki and Yamaha has the idea of promoting the search for alternative fuels and also for hydrogen solutions, which serve to keep this technology valid in this new era of electrification.
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Toyota, leader of the alliance, seeks better alternatives for combustion engines
In defense of greater freedom of choice and investigation in solutions for combustion engines, Toyota is leading the alliance, called 'Team Japan' (Team Japan), between Japanese manufacturers that are also looking for alternatives, which are efficient , so that internal combustion engines can remain relevant and with a carbon neutrality.
Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda has been highly critical of the approach of regulators who have pointed out that electrification is the only path to clean mobility. The company recently demonstrated its work on converting a combustion engine into a hydrogen engine, putting its Corolla in an endurance competition in Japan, the Super Taikyu Series event.
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The Corolla was also highlighted at the press conference held at the Okayama circuit, where Toyota Motor Corp., Subaru Corp., Mazda Motor Corp., Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Yamaha Motor were able to present the main objectives of this alliance, such as: encouraging the use of carbon-neutral fuels, investigate the use of hydrogen-powered engines in high-performance motorcycles and cars, and finally, maintain the argument that the combustion engine can continue to be used in competition, but with a resource associated with hydrogen .
Results released by 'Team Japan'
One of the first results released by Team Japan was precisely the use of the new 1.5 Skyactiv-D engine, powered by diesel, in competition, by the automaker Mazda, fueled by biodiesel.
The Mazda Demio Spirit Racing Bio – a model that was based on the Mazda2, currently only sold in Europe – will use 100% biomass-derived diesel, which will be supplied by Euglena Co., Ltd.
A similar project is being prepared by Toyota precisely with Subaru, with its BR-Z and GR86, which can compete equally since both rely on carbon-neutral synthetic fuels. By holding the competition together, the brands will have the power to accelerate the development of this fuel for use in large urban centers.
Toyoda's concerns
The idealization of carbon-neutral fuels ends up assuming another relevance, which meets the number of combustion engine vehicles that are currently in use in the world, being highly superior to those with electric motors. But there is a prediction that this difference may decrease over the years.
Even so, Toyota and Mazda already have electric models in the making, and Mazda already has some being marketed, following an increasingly fierce competition in the automobile market. However, Toyoda has also been concerned about the impact of electrification on the level of employment, which will possibly suffer a decrease along the way, which could be serious at production plants in Japan.
