Toyota is not only considering the decarbonisation of the current range in various ways, the Japanese manufacturer would also like to see its existing cars driving around without harmful emissions. To put that idea into practice, it converted two Corolla AE86s – one of the brand’s best-loved classics. One has batteries on board, the other runs on hydrogen, but not via a fuel cell: the existing four-cylinder of the AE86 was converted to swallow H2.
H2 Concept and BEV Concept
That is a technology that Toyota has been working on for a while, the brand has also released H2 versions of the GR Yaris and a racing car that shares its base with the GR Corolla. The idea is to preserve the sensations of the combustion engine, read: the sound and the vibrations, without sending CO2 and NOx into the atmosphere. Only minimal changes would be required to the engine itself, such as injectors, fuel lines and spark plugs, although two whoppers of hydrogen tanks would have to be built into the trunk. But they do look like nitro tanks, so it still fits.
The Toyota AE86 BEV Concept had to be converted more thoroughly: the petrol engine was professionally removed and replaced by the electric motor of the Tundra Hybrid. The battery of the Prius PHEV provides the power. That gives a not very practical driving range, but it was necessary to maintain the low weight and weight balance of the AE86. Fun detail: the AE86 BEV Concept still has a manual transmission, just like the Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD. All in all, converting old-timers to hydrogen seems to be the more attractive option.
