Although it might seem right now that all-electric is the way to go, the future is not set in stone. Some countries, companies and researchers believe hydrogen is the better alternative.
Toyota is no stranger to hydrogen-based powertrains with its Mirai fuel cell saloon already in the second generation. But while that one uses fuel cells to generate electricity for propulsion, there is also the option of combusting the world’s lightest gas instead. This principle found use in this experimental GR Yaris.
The engineering team had to introduce extensive modifications to the 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine of the regular GR Yaris (shown in the video) in order to switch it from petrol to hydrogen. A similar engine was put into a Corolla prototype a while ago. Despite operating on the internal combustion principle, it barely produces any carbon dioxide, and even then largely due to the burning motor oil. Even with this drawback, it is still much cleaner than a conventional petrol or diesel engine.