Car technology

With the auto world navigating a transition toward a decrease-carbon future, Toyota continues to stay its neck out as a vocal champion of numerous powertrain choices.

Whereas Toyota will originate its first full EV in Australia next yr – within the assign of the BZ4X midsize SUV – this week, its attention turn into as soon as on a prototype Hiace van that retains an inner combustion engine but is fuelled with hydrogen in space of petrol or diesel.

Toyota suggests right here’s an economical and straightforward conversion resolution that reduces carbon emissions without the compromises of EVs for heavy accountability segments. We’ve pushed the hydrogen-ICE Hiace and the road test will appear on Chasing Cars soon.

The car differs from Toyota’s other hydrogen-powered cars just like the Mirai sedan – a gas cell electrical automobile (FCEV) – which uses hydrogen to vitality an electrical battery.

Whereas an FCEV has zero tailpipe emissions, Toyota says a hydrogen-fuelled ICE automobile just like the Hiace prototype has “nearly zero” CO2 emissions. Critically, small quantities of nitrogen oxide (NOx) are produced for the length of the hydrogen ignition course of, which Toyota says has been diminished to fulfill Euro VI requirements.

Whereas an proper emissions settle is no longer but on hand, it’s far anticipated to be a well-known enchancment on the conventional Hiace diesel engine which emits 197g/km of CO2 for the two.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel in prolonged-wheel-heinous handbook assign.

Toyota Australia warns to no longer count utterly on EVs

Out of all areas the trace operates in, Toyota Australia has been namely cautious about inserting all of its eggs into the total-EV basket, and it stands rather then the likes of Tesla and BYD.

Toyota’s wager-hedging technique to EVs has earned it criticism from some quarters but the trace insists a multi-pathway way might perchance well be confirmed moral in time.

Toyota Australia’s especially cautious perspective on EVs has stood rather then Toyota’s global transfer to amp up electrification, with a unique EV platform and delicate unique EV batteries on the manner, plus electrical Land Cruiser and Hilux-esque EV concepts revealed in recent weeks.

The Australian arm of the trace continues to prosecute a case for hydrogen to affix petrol, diesel, hybrid and completely-electrical choices on Australian roads – recently joining with other producers to champion hydrogen infrastructure style – and main that case for the trace is its vice president of gross sales and advertising and marketing, Sean Hanley.

Hanley turn into as soon as outspoken even for the length of Toyota’s electrification activities ultimately month’s Tokyo Motor Impress in announcing that EVs mild can’t present what he perceives as “the quiet majority” require.

Hydrogen headwinds similar to misunderstood hybrids, Toyota says

The Australian Toyota govt additionally spoke at size in Japan in regards to the ongoing enhance most likely for hydrogen as an energy source on Australian roads – in all chance with a dinky imprint that this might perchance well well well be extra moral for business vehicles and heavy accountability exhaust cases, no longer non-public cars.

Speaking with Chasing Cars at a first drive in Melbourne of a prototype Toyota Hiace that retains its combustion engine but is fuelled with hydrogen, Hanley linked that he’s seen powertrains be misunderstood earlier than.

Hanley turn into as soon as carefully alive to with the originate of the Prius hybrid in Australia in 2001.

“They didn’t in actuality understand what the technology represented and the benefits, and despite our finest intentions, all people concept it turn into as soon as a BEV that you had to fade in”.

Hanley says that most considerable advertising and marketing investment had to enter “mythbusting” the Prius.

“We persisted because we believed within the technology and we believed that it would play a role in reducing our carbon footprint manner help then, even though we knew for the time being, it turn into as soon as by no manner going to be overnight”.

This day, Toyota hybrids assign up a well-known half of the trace’s total gross sales.

“We learned that it takes time to kind the self belief of Australian patrons on unique technology… and the top manner you’ll ever kind the self belief of the market is to procure them skills the product”.

Hydrogen Hiace retains its combustion engine for less dear resolution

To that level, Hanley maintains the learn that hydrogen might perchance well be well-known to fuelling some of Australia’s automobile rapidly in repeat to protect shut targets to minimize the nation’s carbon footprint.

“The truth of what [full EVs] can and can’t attain is being understood,” says Hanley. “There are some countries in Europe the put EVs are ideal, and they also attain exactly what they’ve to attain…but in Australia, simplest [relying on] EVs might perchance perchance well well no longer be ideal.”

“We’re no longer hostile to them. They’ll play a role, but they’re no longer the top resolution”.

Hanley insists that he’s no longer having a discover to procure or beat EVs with picks and rejects recommendations that Toyota’s multi-pathway way ignores the style in the direction of electrification.

“It doesn’t matter who’s moral and who’s grievous…there’s simplest one team that might perchance settle who’s moral or who’s grievous [on powertrain strategy], and that received’t be automobile companies, it received’t be governments. It’ll be patrons,” Hanley stated.

Of the a lot of powertrain choices that Toyota is investing in, Hanley believes there are most considerable advantages to the hydrogen-fuelled inner combustion showcased as share of the hydrogen Hiace prototype bid.

“Seek on the associated price amortisation – you’re utilizing existing engine technology, an existing vendor heinous which procure the technology, existing labour and amenities which procure the technology, you’re utilizing existing technology” Hanley stated.

“The cost to convert or add that true into a hydrogen conversion ICE engine is unheard of decrease than starting from floor zero and having to make investments in every thing”.

Toyota has unveiled the most up-to-the-minute product in its ‘multipathway’ system to decarbonisation – a Hiace van powered by a hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine (ICE).

The prototype – which is determined to start up a customer pilot program locally this month as section of the next stage of its pattern – looks exact admire an on a regular basis Hiace internal and exterior.

It has a selection of exact below 200 kilometres, nonetheless the principal merit of the automobile, admire other hydrogen FCEVs is a a lot sooner five-minute refuelling time, as against the lengthier price time for rotund battery powered EVs.

Importantly, the prototype differs from Toyota’s other hydrogen-powered autos admire the Mirai sedan that are gasoline cell electric autos (FCEV) that gaze hydrogen energy an electrical battery. On this topic, hydrogen is successfully aged as gasoline to energy a broken-down internal combustion engine which takes the verbalize of a rotund EV battery.

The purpose to comes at a time when Toyota leans exact into a diversified system to reducing emissions, lately making its most up-to-the-minute creep in the hydrogen dwelling by signing a memorandum of working out with other key brands to force infrastructure pattern in Australia, and having furthermore constructed a hydrogen gasoline cell prototype of its Hilux ute in the UK.

So let’s clutch a thought at what all people knows to this point and the place to from here for the prototype.

Shared parts riding production efficiencies

Acquainted parts in the prototype encompass its 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine which is chanced on in the Lexus LX600 in Australia and overseas variants of the Land Cruiser 300 Series. Toyota notes that the most spirited change made to the engine is to its injectors, which allow it to ride on compressed hydrogen gasoline in desire to petrol.

The engine is furthermore mated to the same 10-tempo computerized transmission, furthermore aged in the Land Cruiser 300 and LX600, although energy is disbursed to the rear wheels in the case of the hydrogen Hiace which delivers 120kW of energy and 354Nm of torque.

With the engine and transmission borrowed from other Toyotas, the Hiace’s three hydrogen tanks are equivalent to Toyota’s gasoline-cell electric Mirai sedan which can retain 5.6kg of hydrogen.

The automaker says there are nearly zero carbon tailpipe emissions, nonetheless the ignition of hydrogen in the engine does amount to a exiguous amount of nitrogen oxides. Despite this, Toyota says the automobile meets Euro VI emissions standards.

What are the principal advantages of the hydrogen-fuelled ICE?

The main advantages of the skills essentially based on Toyota are the like a flash refuelling and furthermore the power for greater loading and towing capacity in contrast to a BEV – five minutes and 1500kg in the case of the prototype.

In present prototype fabricate, the hydrogen-fuelled ICE Hiace delivers exact below 200km of vary. While a determined skills, this falls an awfully good deal rapid of the hydrogen gasoline-cell electric Mirai’s vary which is claimed at 650km, and which has furthermore considered a an awfully good deal greater world yarn of 1340km.

Then once more, Toyota notes that here’s firmly a prototype – not a production-ready automobile – which is mild to endure essential pattern. At start, the automaker infamous extra possible pattern collectively with enhancement of hydrogen storage, improvements to combustion, and potentially the addition of hybrid tech in future.

This stated, the principal disaster for hydrogen – an absence of infrastructure – will mild dwell, which is why we might perchance well gaze greater application possible for hydrogen tech admire this in the business sphere, as a minimal in any initial business application.

This stated, Toyota has stated there is the probability we might perchance well gaze the tech tailored to other autos admire the Land Cruiser, pointing to its adaptability being one more key advantage.

What next for the hydrogen Hiace?

With Toyota’s pilot program origin imminently, we are able to gaze the prototype van aged ‘in staunch-world prerequisites’ by selected Australian companies who will yarn attend to Toyota on their skills, to again the automobile’s persisted pattern.

Toyota has already named CPB Contractors because the principle to snatch section in the pilot, using the hydrogen Hiace to pass workforce for an infrastructure mission.

The logo says it goals to carry hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine autos to rotund commercialisation and the pilot program will play a job in speeding this task up.

GWM Australia has at the present time confirmed that it is a ways rectifying disorders with the Tank 300 SUV’s emergency lane preserving feature.

An upgraded tool patch has arrived after a few owners reported ordinary feedback behaviour from the Tank 300’s steering draw correct thru lane protect operation.

The logo’s head of selling and communications, Steve Maciver, confirmed with Chasing Automobiles that “there could be certainly a tool change on hand for Tank 300 owners.

“The change is designed to make stronger the sensitivity of the Lane Centre Defend feature (LCK)”, he acknowledged.

Chasing Automobiles’ deputy editor Curt Dupriez famend in his most standard review of the Tank 300 some disorders with the lane protect and departure programs, pronouncing that “with any luck GWM can train a extra relaxed calibration to the Aussie market that’s more fit for spherical city consumption”.

Three months later, GWM now has a repair.

How can owners catch this divulge rectified?

Sadly, owners of the new Tank 300 mannequin won’t be in a scheme to catch the tool change set in over-the-air (OTA) and at dwelling, and ought to as an different need to guide a time with their local GWM dealership to bodily load the tool change into the vehicle.

An announcement from GWM to Chasing Automobiles confirmed that “possibilities are asked to contact their local GWM dealer who can be in a scheme to speak them whether the tool change is required on their Tank 300 or not.

“If the patron’s vehicle isn’t already operating the most standard tool, a straightforward reserving with the dealer is all that’s required to bear the change carried out.”

The Tank 300 is the most valuable of the Tank family to reach on Australian shores, and is on hand with every petrol and petrol-hybrid powertrains.

A bigger-sized Tank 500 is currently present process testing in Australia, however has not been officially confirmed for our market but.

Then all another time, an international the set every Tank 300 and 500 are living beside every a bunch of in Australia is a highly likely one.

Toyota Australia has announced a bunch of updates for its GR86 sports car, headlined by contemporary safety aspects besides to an elective performance pack for the fluctuate-topping GTS.

Manual variations of the rear wheel power coupe will peek their safety credentials bolstered with the addition of self sustaining emergency braking (AEB) and lane departure alert (LDA) to their identical outdated instruments record, previously simplest readily accessible for computerized variations of the automobile.

The welcome recordsdata follows earlier announcements that the Australian Executive would mandate the implementation of AEB on all contemporary autos from March this 365 days, with existing objects given a 2025 closing date to contain the feature.

Fellow Jap auto-maker Subaru – which additionally builds the GR86 coupe twin for Toyota – right now announced the identical safety additions to manual variations of the BRZ in June.

Toyota GR86 GTS performance upgrades

Following within the footsteps of Subaru’s announcement of a 2d-generation be conscious-focussed tS version of the BRZ sports coupe, the Toyota GR86 will additionally impression a brand contemporary elective performance pack on high-spec GTS grades.

The ‘Dynamic Performance Pack’ adds devoted ZF Sachs sports shock absorbers, upgraded brakes with contemporary pink Brembo four-piston front calipers and two-piston rear calipers changing the prevailing two-piston front and single-piston rear brakes on the GTS.

Toyota has previously offered a ‘Dynamic Performance Pack’ on the first-generation of the automobile – then identified because the GT86 – which got here with outlandish 17-poke alloy wheels, Brembo brakes and a identical Sachs suspension equipment.

There are no changes to engine or performance output for the sports car which shares its 2.4-litre naturally-aspirated petrol flat-four cylinder boxer engine with the Subaru BRZ. The engine produces 174kW and 250Nm, sending energy exclusively to the rear wheels.

As well to the aforementioned safety aspects, autos equipped with the six velocity manual transmission will additionally impression computerized excessive-beams, whereas autos with the six velocity computerized transmission will peek the addition of a number one automobile explore feature which indicators driver’s when the car in front has started appealing.

Nonetheless, the coupe twins from Toyota and Subaru aren’t the finest gentle-weight rear wheel power sports autos taking half in a most fashionable update within the cheap sports car phase with rival Mazda having additionally correct announced a substantive update for its rival MX-5 sports car.

Toyota GR Corolla and Supra fluctuate impression contemporary colours

The Toyota GR86 gained’t be the finest GR model within the Toyota lineup to experience an update with contemporary colours attach to be launched for assorted Toyota Gazoo Racing objects.

The GR Supra performance coupe will soon be readily accessible in a brand contemporary ‘plasma orange’ colour to interchange ‘silverstone yellow’, whereas the GR Corolla hot hatch will additionally be made readily accessible in ‘eclectic blue’ which will be paired with blue stitching within the car’s within.