Toyota Corolla Cross H2 concept: Heart of hydrogen-powered GR Corolla

Toyota is actively continuing its research into hydrogen-powered engines. We are pushing in several departments including fuel cells, as evidenced by the recent introduction of the second generation of the Mirai. There is also another alternative, that of pure and simple combustion of hydrogen as a fuel. And that is precisely what the concept Corolla Cross h2 illustrated.

It is well known that Toyota is one of the strongest proponents of hydrogen as an automotive energy source. We know relatively well the Mirai marketed in Canada for two generations now, but there is another avenue with hydrogen if it is used as fuel.

Toyota has been using hydrogen for some time to power some of its racing engines, including the Super Taikyu, on which engineers performed a conversion to switch from gasoline to hydrogen on a GR Corolla. In motor racing it’s one thing, on a production car it’s a completely different story.

To ensure the design of the Corolla Cross h2 concept, the manufacturer draws from everywhere in different models. First, the engine comes from the GR Corolla; it’s a 1.6-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder. Toyota won’t reveal the official horsepower figure, but maintains that it’s dangerously close to the gasoline version’s 300 horsepower. At least, that’s what the engineers say based on on-track competition testing. To give a boost of additional dynamism to the utility, Toyota is daring by integrating a 6-speed manual gearbox and not the traditional CVT of the regular Corolla Cross.

At the moment it is difficult to see a large-scale commercialization of the Corolla Cross h2, but one thing is certain, Toyota is not working on this project for nothing. Moreover, according to the company, the development is about 40% advanced with a view to marketing. Will Canada enjoy it? This is an excellent question, but, considering the lack of hydrogen supply infrastructure, the challenge is daunting. However, some markets like California where its marketing would be possible, if we take into account the number of Mirai on the roads; the Corolla Cross h2 could very well have some success there.

Conclusion

Toyota relied and still relies heavily on hydrogen to power its engines. However, as is often the case, there is no single global solution to energy supply opportunities. In Quebec, the obvious choice is electricity, but this is not the case elsewhere. However, although hydrogen is one of the options, the electricity consumption necessary for its design forces us to ask ourselves questions about its relevance in light vehicles.