Toyota GR Yaris H2: Hydrogen Like You’ve Never Seen Before

The GR Yaris H2 is a hydrogen-powered powerhouse, not to generate electricity with a fuel cell, but directly within an internal combustion engine.

Toyota is among those automakers who believe in hydrogen. The Japanese brand even positions itself as a reference in the field, having been selling hydrogen-powered vehicles via a fuel cell since 2015. Its Mirai, a zero-emission family sedan operating on this technology, has just been upgraded to a whole new generation.

But Toyota surprises everyone by unveiling another hydrogen car with a radically different technical specification. Like the experimental BMW Hydrogen 7 from 2006, the GR Yaris H2 indeed uses an internal combustion engine that burns dihydrogen instead of the usual fossil fuel. In its “normal” version, the GR Yaris produces 261 hp from a small 1.6-liter turbo inline three-cylinder engine. The GR Yaris H2 retains this engine, simply adapted to run on a different fuel, supplied by two dihydrogen tanks.

Toyota, which presents this Yaris very special after racing a Corolla with the same engine in competition in Japan, explains that the gaseous conditioning of dihydrogen allows performance similar to traditional unleaded fuel. However, the manufacturer does not provide any power or performance figures, stating that the vehicle is still in the experimental stage. And what if this technology could help extend the life of piston engines longer than expected? Considering the entire industry and jobs currently at stake… Bonus: the engine sound, so dear to enthusiasts, is preserved!