NO SUCH THING

Japanese carmakers race to champion ‘green’ combustion engines

The roaring noise of racing car engines filled the air, as the final round of June’s Fuji 24-hour endurance race in Japan kicked off to cheers from 20,000 spectators. The race, on a track near Mount Fuji, is part of the Super Taikyu Series, a big endurance race series for commercially available vehicles.

But before all the cars set off, two carmaker rivals met at the event to discuss the outlook for net zero carbon emissions in the automotive industry. Toyota president Akio Toyoda, who took the wheel as “Morizo” to race Toyota’s Corolla model himself, was joined by Ashwani Gupta, chief operating officer at Nissan, which was taking part with carbon neutral fuel for the first time. The Toyota Corolla has a hydrogen engine, while Nissan’s Z sports car uses fuel made from bio-raw materials.

And their appearance showed how, as other carmakers pivot to electric vehicles, Toyota and its Japanese rivals are also exploring alternative routes to net zero emissions — which maintain use of the internal combustion engine.

Toyoda welcomed the efforts of Nissan, which is already a pioneer of electric vehicle technology: “It is reassuring to have more friends in this initiative to show there are many options for carbon neutrality.” Gupta responded that Nissan wants to “boost the industry by competing while co-operating”.

Carmakers globally may be shifting to electric vehicles, but defenders of the combustion engine, such as Toyoda, argue that it could ultimately provide a more sustainable route for the transition from petrol cars. Critics, however, counter that carmakers cannot afford such detours when trying to address causes of climate change.

Testing the tech: Toyota’s hydrogen Corolla at the Fuji endurance race

Recognition of the need for speed in developing the necessary technology is one reason Toyota tried out a hydrogen engine in the endurance race: the time pressures of the sport help it to keep up the momentum.

This was the second year that Toyota took part in the endurance race with a hydrogen-powered vehicle that emits no carbon dioxide. It al­ready has a standard hydrogen model in the form of fuel-cell car Mirai.

Other Japanese carmakers are testing green energy sources to power internal combustion engines.

The Nissan Z car’s biofuel, for example, is made from raw materials such as waste food and wood chips. Explaining the switch to biofuel for the race, Gupta said: “We expect to gain valuable knowledge to develop highly competitive engines for carbon neutral fuels.”

REGARDLESS OF THE FUEL IT USES