In a bid to reduce carbon footprints, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki have come together to develop Hydrogen powered engines for small vehicles.
As per reports, these Japanese automobile behemoths received approval from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to form a technological research association called HySE (Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology) for developing hydrogen-powered engines for small mobility.
Small mobility vehicles include motorcycles, Japan-originated mini-vehicles, small marine vessels, construction equipment, drones, etc. While two-wheelers have not explicitly been mentioned, the background of the four manufacturers involved, as well as the wording of ‘small mobility’ suggests a strong focus on two-wheelers.
As per an Autocar India report, Honda will research model-based development of hydrogen-powered engines, Suzuki will conduct the element study on functionality, performance, and reliability of hydrogen-powered engines, while Yamaha and Kawasaki will carry out hands-on research using real hydrogen-powered engines on their functionality, performance, and reliability.
Furthermore, Yamaha will also study the requirements for a hydrogen refuelling system and hydrogen tanks for small mobility, while Kawasaki Motors will study the auxiliary equipment required for a fuel supply system and tanks, and the equipment installed between the fuel tank and the injector.
In addition to the full members (the four motorcycle manufacturers), Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Toyota Motor support the association as special members.
As a special member, Toyota will assume the role of leveraging HySE’s research results to the maximum benefit for the development of hydrogen-powered engines, utilizing its know-how in experiments, analyses, and the designing of large hydrogen-fuelled power units for four-wheelers.