Toyota marshals Team Japan to keep internal combustion alive in EV age

MIMASAKA, Japan – Toyota marshalled corporate allies this weekend to form a Team Japan dedicated to keeping internal combustion engines alive on the road to carbon neutrality even as rivals continue to gravitate toward battery electric vehicles.

Under the initiative, kicked off Nov. 13 by Toyota Motor Corp., a coalition of five Japanese companies will explore new, greener fueling options for internal combustion.

The push brings together Toyota Motor Corp., Subaru Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp., as well as motorcycle makers Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Yamaha Motor.

The companies announced the initiative at a joint press conference at Okayama International Circuit, a racetrack in western Japan where Toyoda was scheduled to drive a Toyota Corolla race car specially equipped with a hydrogen burning engine in Super Taikyu Series endurance race.

The five companies said they will:

• Participate in races using carbon-neutral fuels
• Explore the use of hydrogen engines in two-wheel and other vehicles
• Continue to race using hydrogen engines.

Mazda and Toyota will cooperate in racing by deploying a 1.5-liter Skyactiv-D engine powered by next-generation biodiesel. Subaru and Toyota will work together in next year’s Super Taikyu Series endurance season in Japan by using biomass-derived synthetic fuel.

Yamaha and Toyota are entering the hydrogen-engine vehicle in the current race.

Finally, Kawasaki and Yamaha will consider the possibility of joint research into hydrogen engine development for motorcycles.

The announcement comes as Toyoda and Toyota push back on the notion that electric vehicles are the only way to achieve carbon neutrality. Toyota believes technological breakthroughs, such as hydrogen engines, can give internal combustion a new lease on life — saving jobs as well as the environment. It is a debate over the best road to net-zero carbon.

“By promoting further collaboration in producing, transporting and using fuel in combination with internal combustion engines, the five companies aim to provide customers with greater choice,” the companies said in a release.