Toyota, Subaru, Mazda Unite to Develop Cleaner New Engines
Japanese automakers Toyota, Subaru and Mazda are once again joining forces to save the internal combustion engine.
In November 2021, they announced a collaboration to develop and use carbon-neutral fuels for race cars. Now, the trio is back with plans for a new generation of clean and efficient powertrains that supposedly can optimize performance and vehicle design while complying with increasingly strict emissions regulations.
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To be clear, Toyota, Subaru and Mazda will not be using identical engines. Rather, they will share technologies as they develop signature engines that not only represent their respective brands but also cater to their customers' unique needs and preferences—inline four-cylinders at Toyota, four-cylinder boxers at Subaru, and rotary engines at Mazda.
Toyota, which owns approximately 20 percent of Subaru and 5 percent of Mazda, has been particularly vocal these past few years about the dangers of going all-in on fully electric vehicles. The new engines will have a more compact design and be compatible with various carbon-neutral fuels like e-fuels, biofuels and liquid hydrogen. They will also be tailored to electrification to help with decarbonization of traditional engines.
On that note, look for a new generation of hybrid systems, such as the one Subaru will soon fit to the Forester and Crosstrek. Mazda is working on a rotary-EV system featuring one or two rotors and acting as a power generator.
Meanwhile, Toyota showed a prototype of the Prius housing a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that’s currently under development, as well as a 2.0-litre variant.
"In order to provide our customers with diverse options to achieve carbon neutrality, it is necessary to take on the challenge of evolving engines that are in tune with the energy environment of the future,” Toyota President and CEO Koji Sato said. “The three companies, which share the same aspirations, will refine engine technologies through friendly competition."