Recently, Toyota, one of the leaders in the car industry with an outstanding record of implementing advanced technologies, has been questioning the effectiveness of hydrogen combustion engines as a viable solution for future transport systems. Nonetheless, experimental mishaps have revealed the flaws and disadvantages in Toyota’s effort to develop hydrogen technology, from fuel cell vehicles to liquid hydrogen-fueled combustion engines for racing.
This revelation is particularly revealing at a time when the entire automotive sector is gradually embracing battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as the primary way of providing a zero-emission solution for transportation. Research and development work done by Toyota reveals the following common issues with most of the new alt-fuel technologies.
Thus, Toyota’s research information shows the following factors: The investigation of the æcological transportation of the future demonstrates the unpredictability and high risks of research and development work. The industry has changed with remarkable dynamism, and therefore, Toyota’s course remains instrumental in the various discussions regarding the most effective approaches to sustainable mobility.
Pros and Cons of Liquid Hydrogen: Weighing the Benefits and Drawbacks of This Technology
A combination of advantages and significant disadvantages of liquid hydrogen combustion engines have emerged from several tests implemented by Toyota. The flip side is that liquid hydrogen has a greater energy density than gas form, which means you can stow around half as much energy in the same amount of volume. Also, it is easier to store the liquid hydrogen under normal conditions.
There will be no need to have high-pressure reservoirs. That being the case, significant countering of these benefits occurred by some drawbacks, including the difficulty of storing hydrogen in its liquid form, necessitating submersion in a container at temperatures below minus 253 degrees Celsius. This temperature requirement complicates the practical implementation of LTO tremendously, especially in point-to-point passenger transport.
Technical Hurdles with Liquid Hydrogen Engines: Exploring the Challenges Toyota Faces
Engines based on liquid hydrogen also created many technical issues that were quite challenging to solve during their development. One major problem is the high failure rates of fuel pumps, and for this reason, fuel pumps cannot use regular oils to lubricate them for fear of contaminating hydrogen fuel. This problem led to Toyota changing the fuel pump twice within a 24-hour race, which consumed more time, about three and a half hours.
The CO2 freezing point for liquid hydrogen storage also poses certain difficulties in designing effective seals between the pump components. What is most worrisome, in my opinion, is the lack of fuel efficiency and the overall distance that the car can travel.
The pre-production Toyota Corolla required a hydrogen tank of 150-liter to cover only 65 kilometers of distance before refueling. It is a minimal range, which raises an important question about the utility of hydrogen combustion engines, especially from the viewpoint of range, which constantly extends in battery electric vehicles.
Comparing Hydrogen Engines to Battery Electric Vehicles: Why BEVs Are Winning
Now that we have seen how battery electric vehicles compare with battery electric vehicles, we can see that hydrogen combustion engines lag in many ways. The general efficiency of combustion engines for fuel hydrogen is much lower and can reach the levels of traditional petrol engines, 20-40%, whereas electric vehicles’ efficiency is 77%.
It leads to increased energy consumption and operating costs that differ across the neighboring communities. Furthermore, the supporting structure of hydrogen refueling stations is more comprehensive and capital-intensive than that of electric charging stations.
Shell announced its intention to end most of the hydrogen refueling stations that it operates in California permanently because of market conditions and supply problems, proving that hydrogen is a puzzle as a fuel for automobiles for passengers.
Conclusion: Toyota’s Findings Suggest Hydrogen Is Not the Future for Passenger Cars
In conclusion, Toyota’s efforts to develop HCE technology support Popper’s assertion that exploring a non-viable idea exposes its inherent flaws and cannot be regarded as viable or valuable. Liquid hydrogen combustion can be quickly ruled out for passenger vehicles, considering the various technical issues faced in hydrogen combustion engines, the efficiency factor, and the feasibility aspect.
Notably, battery electric vehicle seems to be the next definitive solution for the eventual zero-emission mobility solution in the future automobile industry. Thus, hydrogen technology may have its place in sectors including heavy industry or long-distance transport; however, the evidence from Toyota indicates that electric powertrains in the automotive sector will prevail shortly and then get used for personal transportation.
Such understanding may make Toyota and other manufacturers recalibrate their strategies, focus on BEVs even harder, and dedicate more resources to perfecting the technology, consistent with the general EV evolution narrative observed in the industry.
