Five Japanese manufacturers join forces to save the internal-combustion engine

As many governments edge closer to banning the sale of new petrol- and diesel-powered cars, five Japanese manufacturers have banded together in an attempt to keep the internal-combustion engine (ICE) alive.

Subaru and Mazda have rallied behind Toyota in the initiative, also joined by motorcycle companies Kawasaki and Yamaha, in the pursuit of developing carbon-neutral fuels.

The three carmakers will participate in motorsport using biodiesel and biomass-derived synthetic fuel, while Toyota and Yamaha will compete in the Super Taikyu Race using hydrogen fuel.

While most hydrogen vehicles operate like an electric vehicle – using a fuel-cell to generate electricity – the two firms will use hydrogen to directly power internal-combustion engines.

Toyota has previously shown off its hydrogen-powered Corolla, which used hydrogen created from brown coal at Gippsland's Loy Yang mine, in Victoria’s south east.

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Kawasaki and Yamaha – traditional competitors in the motorcycle segment – will explore the possibility of collaborating on joint hydrogen research for two-wheeled applications.

The announcement comes as six carmakers signed onto the Glasgow Declaration at the COP26, which commits to banning the sale of new ICE vehicles by 2040.

New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory are also signatories to the declaration.