In order to realize a decarbonized society, four domestic motorcycle manufacturers have collaborated to promote research on a hydrogen engine that emits almost no carbon dioxide while driving.
According to the announcement, four motorcycle manufacturers, Honda, Yamaha Motor, Suzuki, and Kawasaki Motors, will jointly establish an organization to conduct research and development of hydrogen engines for motorcycles by the end of this month.
The "hydrogen engine" is characterized by almost no carbon dioxide emissions while driving.
On the other hand, hydrogen burns faster than gasoline, and combustion tends to be unstable, and manufacturing hydrogen tanks for motorcycles, which require high safety, is an issue.
The four companies plan to share research themes and promote research and development for practical use, and they would like to utilize the results obtained in other fields such as mini vehicles and drones.
To date, the four companies have been collaborating on initiatives toward a decarbonized society, such as jointly providing a sharing service for replaceable batteries used in electric motorcycles.
At the press conference, Yoshihiro Hidaka, president of Yamaha Motor, stated, "In order to realize decarbonization, we must have a wide range of technologies, and hydrogen is one of the hot stocks."
As for hydrogen engines, Toyota Motor Corporation is conducting demonstrations by installing hydrogen engines in cars designed for racing, and research and development is likely to progress in the field of motorcycles as well.