Toyota, Subaru, and Mazda have joined forces to develop new combustion engines for the electric and carbon-neutral era. The trio says these new powerplants will integrate electric drive units, batteries, and motors in an optimized manner, suggesting these ICE units will be plug-in hybrids of some kind. But that still doesn't remove the pesky issue of carbon emissions. The Japanese automakers plan to "decarbonize ICEs by making them compatible with various carbon-neutral fuels." This could likely be a combination of liquid hydrogen, synthetic fuels, and other alternatives.
Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru are all taking the same approach to electrification. All three want to cater to different customer needs worldwide, something that an EV-only lineup cannot do. Whereas many see the combustion engine as the enemy, carbon emissions are the problem, and that's what the group endeavors to tackle. Toyota has already extolled the virtues of hydrogen-fueled combustion engines in the crucible of motorsport. Mazda also uses motorsport to experiment with alternative fuels, such as a biodiesel-powered Mazda 3 Gr.4.
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