Posted on 05/20/2023 4:03:16 AM PDT by FarCenter
Japanese motorcycle makers Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha will work together to develop hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines for “small mobility.” In addition to motorcycles, that is likely to include various hydrogen-powered mini-vehicles, small marine vessels, construction equipment and drones.
Each company will develop its own final products. Their current product lines give an indication of what those might be in addition to those mentioned above: three- and four-wheeled minicars, all-terrain and off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, jet skis, outboard motors for small boats, golf carts and multi-purpose engines for the likes of lawn mowers and generators.
The four companies announced this week that they had received approval from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to form a “Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology” (HySE) research association with Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and Toyota Motor as supporting members.
The association’s R&D efforts will be focused on the functionality, performance and reliability of hydrogen-powered engines and the fueling system, including small hydrogen tanks and related equipment.
Japan’s idea of green
The companies participating in HySE, other Japanese auto companies and the Japanese government favor “a multi-pathway strategy” to move beyond gasoline engines and achieve zero-emission transportation.
They have been relatively slow to embrace battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), preferring hybrids and continuing to develop alternatives including hydrogen fuel cells and now hydrogen internal combustion engines. For this, they have been harshly criticized by Greenpeace and other decarbonization purists.
In response, Toyota’s chief scientist, Gill Pratt, explains that when it comes to carbon neutrality (the term for having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks), “diversity is strength.”
Pratt has been CEO of Toyota Research Institute (TRI) since 2016. Before that, he spent several years at the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where he led the Robotics Challenge, Robotics Research and Neuromorphic Computing research programs. He says,
Making a BEV [battery electric vehicle] requires up to six times more critical minerals than a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle. What’s more, while a battery plant can be built in two to three years, a new mine takes 10 to 15 years to be operational. As a result, despite the planet’s abundance of untapped battery minerals, many experts including the IEA [International Energy Agency] forecast a 30-50% shortfall in battery minerals over the next 10-20 years (roughly the lifespan of an automobile).
Internal combustion, gas and diesel, do not have a large negative impact on our planet. Gorebull warming is a hoax.
Japan currently has around 160 hydrogen stations . One is a 3 minute walk from our house in Kumamoto . They plan to have 1000 by the end of the decade . We burn gas in our old Honda Life .
you said ...”Gorebull warming is a hoax.”
I don’t know about that .... over the last couple of months
I have noticed a real rise in the temps around my place.
Had to open windows and run a fan lately. Just 3 months ago I had to burn old tires at night to stay warm (switched from wood.. didn’t want to unleash more carbon)
At this rate we will all melt within a year.
Virtue signaling. Hydrogen is a worthless alternative to gasoline, (which is mostly hydrogen anyway). Storage containments are too bulky and heavy for motorcycles, for starters. And a malfunctioning shutoff valve can create a fuel-air bomb rivaled only by military explosives.
I have been noticing the same thing where I’m at. The dog was even panting the other day.
We’re in heap bad trouble if this keeps up.
Gasoline is mostly carbon. There are approximately two hydrogen atoms per carbon atom, but the carbon atom weighs about 8 times as much as the two hydrogen atoms.
I think the technology has improved a little since then my friend. LOL!
The British Top Gear guys said hydrogen power was at least worth exploring so that’s good enough for me.
The core issues with hydrogen:
o A really small molecule that is really good at leaking.
o steel embrittlement caused by hydrogen working its way into the metal.
o There are no hydrogen wells - you have to make electricity somehow to electrolyze water to get hydrogen. The only practical way to do this in large enough amounts to be interesting without using hydrocarbon fuels is with nuclear power plants.
Any approach that doesn’t deal with all this is a joke.
Gallon-for-gallon liquid hydrogen contains 1/6 as much energy as gasoline.
Hydrogen production is the family of industrial methods for generating hydrogen gas. As of 2020, the majority of hydrogen (∼95%) is produced from fossil fuels by steam reforming of natural gas and other light hydrocarbons, partial oxidation of heavier hydrocarbons, and coal gasification. Other methods of hydrogen production include biomass gasification, methane pyrolysis, and electrolysis of water. Methane pyrolysis and…
I’ll just leave this here.
We had 28f here two nights ago and it has struggled to reach 60f for a week. We’ve had like 3 days in the 70s all spring. my heat is on right now and the garden is far behind. This global warming sucks.
Our dictator will soon Ban it’s use in favor of electric...
That would be weather, not climate.
Refreshing.
IMHO hydrogen is the natural progression for fuel development in furtherance of a free market economy.
However, the converse has far more governmental support (i.e., centralized control & mandated/compulsory reliance upon expensive grid sourcing to enable freedom of movement).
Gee: I wonder why. /s
1of10:
I rate your sarcasm 10of10.
No.
Government is the primary impediment to hydrogen storage development. This problem was already solved years ago.
Educate yourself.
Gasoline vehicles:
EVs:
Even without a lithium-6 storage solution (impossible under current government laws), safe compressed gas storage has been demonstrated for years:
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.