Subaru, Toyota, and Mazda Join Forces to Innovate Carbon-Neutral Engines
In a groundbreaking collaboration, Subaru Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Mazda Motor Corporation have announced their commitment to developing new engines tailored to electrification and carbon neutrality. This initiative aims to revolutionize internal combustion engines (ICEs) by making them compatible with various carbon-neutral (CN) fuels, optimizing integration with electric drive units, and transforming vehicle packaging.
Leadership and Vision
Key executives from the three companies, including Subaru’s President and CEO Atsushi Osaki, Toyota’s President and CEO Koji Sato, and Mazda’s President and CEO Masahiro Moro, emphasized the shared vision and dedication driving this initiative. Their collective goal is to ensure the future of supply chains, jobs, and the automotive industry as a whole by advancing sustainable technologies.
Focus on Carbon-Neutral Fuels
The new engines will be designed to run on a variety of carbon-neutral fuels, including synthetic fuels (e-fuels), biofuels, and liquid hydrogen. This shift away from fossil fuels aims to decarbonize ICEs and support the broader adoption of CN fuels. The engines will also meet increasingly strict emissions regulations, further contributing to environmental sustainability.
Enhanced Integration and Vehicle Design
In addition to improving standalone engine performance, the collaboration will focus on optimizing the integration of engines with motors, batteries, and other electric drive units. This will result in more compact and efficient engines, allowing for innovative vehicle designs with lower hoods, improved aerodynamics, and better fuel efficiency.
Statements from Industry Leaders
✅ Atsushi Osaki, Subaru Corporation: “Achieving a carbon-neutral society is a challenge that must be undertaken by all of Japan’s industries and society as a whole. As we continue to refine electrification technology, we will also enhance our horizontally-opposed engines with an aim to use carbon-neutral fuels in the future.”
✅ Koji Sato, Toyota Motor Corporation: “In order to provide our customers with diverse options to achieve carbon neutrality, it is necessary to take on the challenge of evolving engines that are in tune with the energy environment of the future. The three companies, which share the same aspirations, will refine engine technologies through friendly competition.”
✅ Masahiro Moro, Mazda Motor Corporation: “We will continue to offer customers exciting cars by honing internal combustion engines for the electrification era and expanding the multi-pathway possibilities for achieving carbon neutrality. Given the rotary engine’s compatibility with electrification and carbon-neutral fuels, Mazda will continue to develop the technology through co-creation and competition to ensure it can contribute broadly to society.”
This collaboration underscores a shared dedication to achieving carbon neutrality through a multi-pathway approach. Subaru, Toyota, and Mazda, while competing in the automotive market, are united in their efforts to develop sustainable engine technologies. Together with like-minded partners, they are poised to shape the future of Japan’s auto industry and contribute significantly to global carbon neutrality goals.