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Classic Toyota AE86 sports coupes get electric and hydrogen power
Toyota has fitted two examples of the iconic 1980s-era Corolla AE86 coupe with modern electric and hydrogen power.
While the two AE86s are concepts for now, Toyota boss Akio Toyoda suggested in a presentation the hydrogen and electric systems could eventually become available as conversion packages for existing cars.
"Many automakers are targeting anywhere from 2030 to 2040 to 100 per cent shift to battery-electric vehicles. However the reality is we cannot achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050 simply by switching all new-car sales to [electric]," Mr Toyoda told the crowd.
"We must think of [cars] in operation. In other words it is important to provide options for other cars that are already owned by someone.
The hydrogen concept – known as the 'AE86 H2 Concept', and based on a 'Trueno' version of the AE86 – converts the original car's fan-favourite '4A-GE' 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine to run on hydrogen as fuel.
Hydrogen is stored in two tanks in the rear of the car – taken from a Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell electric car – while minimal modifications have been made to the engine, consisting of new fuel injectors, fuel pipes and spark plugs.
According to Toyota, the AE86 H2 Concept "can be driven while enjoying the internal combustion engine's appeal points of sound and vibration".
Meanwhile, the AE86 BEV Concept – based on a 'Levin' variant of the car – ditches the 4A-GE engine and goes electric, with an electric motor from a Toyota Tundra hybrid pick-up, and a battery pack from the latest Prius plug-in hybrid.
But the five-speed manual transmission is retained for "greater driving pleasure", according to Toyota.
This is the original car's gearbox, rather than the software-based manual transmission being developed by Toyota's luxury division Lexus for its upcoming electric supercar.
The decision to use Tundra and Prius components means performance will be modest – the electric motor develops 36kW and 250Nm in the Tundra (though it may have been upgraded for the AE86), while the battery can store 13.6kWh, or less than a quarter of a base-model Tesla Model 3.
