Retrofitting existing vehicles with new drive systems is a resource-saving option.
Akio Toyoda, President of Japanese automaker Toyota, has a clear opinion on the subject of electromobility: it should not be the only technology being advanced on the road to zero-emission driving; rather, technological openness is necessary. His company is consistently pursuing this approach, for example with the development of a hydrogen combustion engine.
However, in Akio Toyoda’s view, relying solely on the sale of emission-free new vehicles to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 is not enough. Conversion of the vehicle fleet must also be examined as an option, the manager and passionate racing driver said at a press conference last week.
How this could look in practice is presented by the company l using two models from the 1980s. One of them was equipped with an electric motor, the other modified so that the original engine is powered by the combustion of hydrogen. With these adaptations, car enthusiasts could continue to enjoy their vehicles in the future, Toyoda said.
Reuters also points out that in Japan, only one in 20 vehicles is a new car, so old models could continue to dominate the road scene for a long time to come and miss climate targets. Retrofitting is a possible solution that could also reduce the resources required for the production of new vehicles.
Photo: iStock/ismael juan
