Toyota unveils green-fuel engine

New product will run on hydrogen, bioethanol and be paired with zero-emission electric motors

- YURI KAGEYAMA

“An engine reborn.” That’s how Japanese automaker Toyota introduced plans to cast a futuristic spin on the traditional internal combustion engine.

During a three-hour presentation at a Tokyo hall Tuesday, the car manufacturer giant announced it would offer lean compact engines that also run on so-called green fuels like hydrogen and bioethanol, or get paired with zero-emissions electric motors in hybrids.

This comes as many competitors in the auto industry are pushing for fully electric vehicles. China is revving its push for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and its own BYD is threatening to outshine Tesla in that push.

Toyota’s chief executive Koji Sato said the “engine is optimized for the electrification era” with hopes of helping push the world into “carbon neutrality.”

Toyota already has a well-known hybrid car the Prius  with a gas engine and an electric motor. It switches between the two to deliver a cleaner drive.