Toyota converts Corolla AE86s into hydrogen cars as well as EVs!
Indeed, at the Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan there will be not one, but two Corolla AE86s: one with an electric powertrain and one with an internal combustion engine that runs on hydrogen. From the outside, both cars are almost indistinguishable from the original. The electric variant is based on the Corolla Levin – the variant with the conventional rectangular headlights – and can be recognized by the lack of an exhaust and the “EV” stickers on the bottom of the doors. In turn, the hydrogen-powered version is based on the Corolla Trueno, the version with folding headlights. That one may have H2 stickers, but it also still has an exhaust because of its internal combustion engine.
From the shelves of Toyota
Toyota is not providing both cars with entirely new technology. As mentioned, the hydrogen-powered Trueno features an internal combustion engine. Toyota does not report what power source is involved, but the photos show the original 1.6 four-cylinder from the Trueno. That engine has an output of 130 hp on gasoline; what a conversion to hydrogen does to the output remains guesswork. Toyota says the modifications are limited to the injectors, fuel lines and spark plugs. The high-pressure tanks for the hydrogen come from the Mirai and take up all the trunk space.
For the electric AE86 Levin, Toyota is also treading a quirky path: in fact, this car has a manual transmission! Toyota (and Lexus) have been known to experiment with this technology, but this is the first time we have seen it in a concept car. The electric motor comes from the Tundra HEV and is powered by a battery from the Prius PHEV. Again, Toyota does not provide specifications for the Levin.
A future?
For lovers of classics, the future remains uncertain. Can the experience of an old internal combustion engine car continue to exist in an age of electric cars? At least Toyota seems to be doing everything possible to succeed in that endeavor. It does not appear that Toyota will offer these projects to customers in the short term, but they do say something about the future direction of the brand.
