The Carbon Capturer: Toyota’s Initiative Towards Carbon Neutral

As you are aware, many automobile manufacturers are shifting towards EVs, but Toyota has taken an extremely different path because they know the downsides of producing EVs. If you aren’t aware of the other side of EVs, you should check out that article for better insight.

However, they are focusing on internal combustion engine improvements, hybrids, and hydrogens.

Toyota may have found a potential and environment-friendly alternative to EVs in terms of production and the end product. As the title hints, the Japanese automobile manufacturer is working on the carbon-capturing mechanism in collaboration with Kawasaki Heavy Industries on their liquid-hydrogen-powered Toyota GR (Gazoo Racing) Corolla concept vehicle. 

The Placement and its Working Principle 

Under the hood of the liquid-hydrogen-powered Toyota GR Corolla concept vehicle, a pair of ceramic-catalyst filters coated in a CO2 absorbent developed by Kawasaki is there. Those filters are placed behind the intake manifold part in the engine bay. Once those filters capture the CO2 entering from outside, they make carbon (CO2) pass through the recovery fluid. After passing through the recovery fluid, the carbon disappears without any trace. 

Image Credits: Toyota Times 

(Label 1 & Label 2) Pair of CO2-Coated Absorbent Ceramic Catalyst Filters that send Captured Carbon to Recovery Fluid (Label 3). 

As mentioned above, this system is exclusively being tested on Toyota’s hydrogen-powered performance vehicle; the filters are replaced rapidly during the tests. The carmaker races this vehicle on its wholly-owned Fuji Speedway Track (measuring 4.56 km) in Tokyo. Toyota claims that this innovation captures approximately a gram (1gm) of CO2 per lap. It means that it will capture 10 grams of C02 after completing ten laps of the circuit, which is average. But some intake is better than nothing. 

According to EPA’s reports, the average passenger vehicle (any fuel type) releases 400 grams of CO2 per mile (1.60 km) from the tailpipe.  

Currently, this ‘carbon capture’ system isn’t a set-and-forget solution. As I said, the filters that capture carbon are being replaced rapidly during the tests. Therefore, the Kawasaki-Toyota partnership is trying to innovate a filter that lasts long and requires less human intervention. 

Conclusion

Toyota’s ideology behind the innovation of this whole ‘carbon capture’ system is to meet the ‘Carbon Neutral by 2050’ goal. The Japanese manufacturer, however, isn’t keen on betting on electric vehicles, unlike its competitors. Plus, Toyota expects to continue innovating and improvising the petrol, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles.