The technical secrets behind Yamaha’s hydrogen motorcycle

Once heralded as the fuel of the future, hydrogen has since hit several roadblocks, especially when it comes to its use in an internal combustion engine. This has not stopped manufacturers – especially the major Japanese manufacturers – from overcoming these obstacles. From Toyota’s numerous attempts to expose the alternative fuel source through commuter cars and performance machines, to Yamaha’s dabble in the H2 sphere, we’re not starved for proof of concept.

A few years ago Kawasaki released a concept for a hydrogen motorcycle, but this year it’s Yamaha’s turn, and while it may not be the most exciting looking motorcycle, it may have the most potential. The H2 Buddy Porter is a futuristic-looking scooter concept that is clearly built with the commercial segment in mind. While it’s certainly not as exciting as the previous hydrogen collaboration between Yamaha and Toyota, this concept actually makes a lot more sense and could even see the light of day.

The Yamaha H2 Buddy Porter represents the next chapter in the Yamaha/Toyota hydrogen story

The first hydrogen project that Yamaha and Toyota collaborated on was certainly more interesting. A Lexus V8 with 450 hp was converted into a hydrogen-burning lump a few years ago. Unfortunately, that served more as a proof of concept than anything else, as it has no practical application in the real world. At least, not at the moment. As a regular petrol engine, the Lexus V8 is relatively efficient, but once it’s converted to run on hydrogen, all that changes.

The conversion is not overly complex; the engine gets different injectors that run on gas instead of liquid fuel, and the internals need to be strengthened. The head gasket must also be made of stronger material, largely due to the added heat from hydrogen combustion. The costs are not excessively high, but the way in which hydrogen is stored in the vehicle appears to be the biggest stumbling block. Even for a range of just 100 miles, the hydrogen tank would need to be more than twice the size of the existing fuel tank found in the Lexus RC F. But this is where little Buddy Porter steps in.

The H2 Buddy Porter has a range of approximately 60 miles

Yamaha hasn’t released any engine specs for the Buddy Porter, but if you look at the scoot from the side you’ll see that it’s a dead ringer for the ubiquitous 155cc single. It is found in a wide range of scooters and motorcycles sold throughout Asia, and would be a logical choice for such an application. It makes about 15 horsepower, not much compared to a Lexus V8, but a respectable amount for a small scoot like this. This is important because smaller engines tend to lose more efficiency than larger engines once they are converted to run on hydrogen. 10 hp is a conservative estimate, but that is enough for a small cargo bike.

As a commercial vehicle, this makes sense in a busy urban environment

We say delivery bike, but this can be used for almost any small business operating in a busy city. Several cities around the world restrict the use of high-emission vehicles operating within city limits. Carbon taxes add up over time, and a low-emission car like the Buddy Porter will become an asset. A range of 100 kilometers may not seem like much, but this is actually comparable to what you would get with most electric scooters.

The e-bikes converted for commercial use have limited carrying capacity and are also virtually useless when climbing hills, making them impractical in certain parts of the world. Electric bikes also require a fair amount of downtime to charge, while a hydrogen tank can be refilled in the same time it takes to refuel a regular ICE vehicle. The technical performance here has nothing to do with the drivetrain, but rather with the fuel storage. This is, by some margin, the smallest hydrogen vehicle, and if these tanks – already approved for road use – can work here, a few more could certainly work on a slightly larger scooter, or possibly even on a motorcycle that doesn’t look as ridiculous as Kawasaki’s hydrogen-powered Ninja H2.

The pitfalls of hydrogen

Burning hydrogen is not the most efficient way to use it. In their current form, hydrogen fuel cells are a lot more efficient, but also complex and expensive to produce. This is the main reason why major companies such as Yamaha and Toyota are exploring the use of hydrogen in internal combustion engines. It also presents itself as a much more natural direction for companies already well-versed in building ICE vehicles at scale. Burning hydrogen is also not entirely emission-free. While there are no carbon emissions, this does result in the production of certain nitrogen oxides, which are still quite a harmful byproduct.

Manufacturing and environmental challenges

By far the biggest problem is the production of the fuel itself. Currently hydrogen is not well regulated, but there are three different types of hydrogen: green, blue and gray hydrogen. The only emission-free hydrogen is in principle green, produced through electrolysis with renewable electricity. It is currently not feasible to produce green hydrogen alone, and both blue and gray hydrogen both introduce fossil fuels into the equation. Obviously this is undesirable.

Hydrogen is part of the solution, not THE solution

Storing the fuel also proves difficult. Storing it in gaseous form is impractical, but storing it as liquid requires significant investment from the owner of any gas station wanting to sell hydrogen. These are all challenges that the oil and gas industry faced in its early years in petroleum (or gasoline), and all of which have been overcome and normalized. The same may be true of hydrogen, which is certainly not the panacea some claim it to be, but it can certainly be part of the broader green energy solution.

With the definitive leaders in hydrogen sticking to their promise to make the fuel source work in some form, only time will tell whether the investments will benefit the larger consumer. One day, hydrogen tanks could even be small enough to be sold as kits to enthusiasts keen to keep a classic car or motorcycle on the road. Even if that means limited range and more money spent on literal gas.

Sources: Yamaha, Toyota