Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki unite in research into small hydrogen engines
Yamaha Motor Co. , Honda Motor Co. , Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corporation today jointly announced that they have received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to establish a technological research association called HySE (Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology) to develop hydrogen engines for small mobility .
Achieving a zero-carbon society requires a multi-pronged strategy to address different issues in the mobility sector, rather than focusing on a single energy source. Against this background, research and development aimed at commercializing mobility with hydrogen engines – considered a next-generation energy source – is gaining importance.
However, the use of hydrogen poses technical challenges, such as high flame speed and large ignition area, which often lead to unstable combustion, and limited tank capacity when used in small mobility vehicles. In addressing these issues, HySE members are committed to conducting fundamental research, drawing on their wealth of expertise and technologies in the development of gasoline engines, and aim to work together with the common goal of establishing a design standard for the hydrogen engine of small mobility and to promote fundamental research efforts in this field.
HySE members will continue to deepen their cooperative relationships to provide users with a variety of small mobility options and meet their diverse needs, thus contributing to the achievement of a zero-carbon society.
Kenji Komatsu, Chairman-designate of HySE and Executive Officer of the Technical Research & Development Center, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd., said: “We are very pleased to announce the planned formation of the association. There are many challenges in the development of hydrogen engines, but we hope that the association's activities will promote fundamental research to address those challenges. We are committed to this venture with a sense of mission to preserve the use of internal combustion engines, which are the embodiment of the long-term efforts invested by our predecessors.”
Key research and development areas, and the role of each company:
- Research into the model-based development of hydrogen engines (Honda)
- Element study into functionality, performance and reliability of hydrogen engines (Suzuki)
- Practical research with real hydrogen engines into their functionality, performance and reliability (Yamaha Motor, Kawasaki Motors)
- Study of the requirements for a hydrogen supply system and hydrogen tanks for small mobility (Yamaha)
- Study of the auxiliary equipment required for a fuel supply system and tanks, and the equipment installed between the fuel tank and the injector (Kawasaki Motors)
In addition to the four motorcycle manufacturers mentioned above, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Toyota Motor Corporation will promote HySE's activities based on the knowledge gained from its activities for HySTRA. Toyota, on the other hand, will take on the role of maximizing HySE research results for the development of hydrogen engines, using its know-how in experimentation, analysis and the design of large hydrogen engines for four-wheel vehicles.
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