The Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series could adopt a hydrogen-powered engine option, according to a new report – and it could mark the return of a V8 to the iconic four-wheel-drive.
Reputable Japanese magazine Best Car – which has a good track record for unearthing accurate information from well-placed sources – has reported Toyota is preparing to install the option of hydrogen power in one of its largest vehicles, the latest LandCruiser 300 Series four-wheel-drive.
Unlike the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo hydrogen cars powered by “fuel cells” which charge onboard battery packs, the Toyota LandCruiser would adapts a conventional, petrol-driven internal combustion engine to run on hydrogen (H2).
It’s not yet clear if the hydrogen-powered Toyota LandCruiser is an experimental vehicle or destined for showrooms.
However, Best Car reported: “The first model to be equipped with the hydrogen fuel engine will be the LandCruiser”, indicating it could reach mass production.
The Best Car magazine cover published online – alongside snippets of the report – appears to depict the hydrogen-powered V8 engine being developed by long-time Toyota partner Yamaha – suggesting the hydrogen model could mark the return to V8 power, following the 300 Series’ switch to twin-turbo V6 petrol and diesel engines.
Revealed in late 2021 – but developed as early as 2018, with mid-engined sports cars in mind – Yamaha’s hydrogen V8 is an adapted version of the 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 petrol under the bonnet of the Lexus RC F and LC500 sports cars.
According to information sourced by Best Car, the Toyota LandCruiser hydrogen-powered V8 has outputs of 335kW and 540Nm in prototype guise. This compares to the 351kW/530Nm for the petrol V8, or 305kW/650Nm for the twin-turbo 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 available in the LandCruiser overseas.
Unlike most modern hydrogen cars – which use a fuel cell to charge the battery pack and/or drive the wheels via an electric motor – the technology reportedly being developed by Toyota and Yamaha for the LandCruiser uses hydrogen (H2) as fuel for the cylinders of a traditional combustion engine.
Debuted in a Corolla race car last year, Toyota says its new hydrogen engines “emit zero CO2” when on the move, “except for the combustion of minute amounts of engine oil during driving, which is also the case with petrol engines”.
The hydrogen engine technology is pitched as another possible way to save the internal combustion engine – in addition to synthetic fuel, which Porsche is developing – and provide an alternative to electric cars for zero tailpipe emission driving.
Speaking in May 2021, Toyota Gazoo Racing president Koji Sato said: “What makes hydrogen special is that its combustion speed is eight times that of gasoline. That means a faster response. So low-speed torque almost immediately after the get-go and torque-strong response are what make hydrogen engines so good.
“However, hydrogen’s quick burn rate results in high pressure and high temperatures, making heat management a technical issue. So, it becomes a matter of how to find a good balance for maximum output.”
Toyota revealed a prototype GR Yaris powered by an adapted version of its 1.6-litre turbo three-cylinder engine which, despite running on experimental hydrogen fuel, quoted identical outputs to the standard, petrol-powered car’s 200kW/370Nm.
“We’ve taken the first step to compete with and develop our hydrogen-powered engine with the mindset of taking on the challenge,” Toyota president Akio Toyoda said.
It’s not known when the hydrogen Toyota LandCruiser will launch, or which markets it will be sold in – though it’s expected Best Car will expand upon its report in the coming months.
Video: Yamaha’s hydrogen 5.0-litre V8 on display
Keyword: Toyota LandCruiser could adopt hydrogen V8 power – report