Carbon Negative: Toyota Working On a Carbon Capture Filtration System

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

Toyota has taken an all-around beating for its decision to focus on a diverse array of alternative fuels and electrification options instead of going all-in on EVs, but that approach has started to look more prudent as other companies struggle with slower-than-expected growth. The Japanese auto giant has developed hydrogen powertrains and been a staunch supporter of hybrid technologies, and now it is testing a new engine that can remove carbon from the air.


The carbon capture engine first appeared in a GR Corolla race car last year as part of a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain. It was already a zero-emissions configuration, but the added filtration system can actually remove carbon from the air around the car.


“This type of technology to capture carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is advancing rapidly in the infrastructure industry. But as far as we know, Toyota is the first company to test this technology in a vehicle,” Naoaki Ito, Gazoo Racing’s project general manager, said.


Toyota’s carbon capture system uses two filters and a fluid reservoir that traps carbon dioxide. It uses no energy, and the fluid moves into the reservoir using the engine’s heat. The automaker worked with Kawasaki Heavy Industries to develop the filters, which are similar to the technology used in modern exhaust systems.


Though Toyota tested the system in a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, it said the tech would work with any motorized vehicle, including ones with gas engines. Right now, however, the system doesn’t capture as much carbon as a traditional vehicle produces in regular operation, so there’s work to do to make it commercially viable.


[Image: Toyota]


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Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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  • Norman Stansfield Norman Stansfield on Feb 26, 2024

    Need a way that's energy efficient & good for the environment to capture carbon.


    Trees?

  • Lorenzo Lorenzo on Feb 26, 2024

    I hope the carbon filter isn't TOO efficient. People (and all life on this planet) are all carbon-based lifeforms. I don't want to get suctioned by a carbon filter while driving!

  • Namesakeone If I were the parent of a teenage daughter, I would want her in an H1 Hummer. It would be big enough to protect her in a crash, too big for her to afford the fuel (and thus keep her home), big enough to intimidate her in a parallel-parking situation (and thus keep her home), and the transmission tunnel would prevent backseat sex.If I were the parent of a teenage son, I would want him to have, for his first wheeled transportation...a ride-on lawnmower. For obvious reasons.
  • ToolGuy If I were a teen under the tutelage of one of the B&B, I think it would make perfect sense to jump straight into one of those "forever cars"... see then I could drive it forever and not have to worry about ever replacing it. This plan seems flawless, doesn't it?
  • Rover Sig A short cab pickup truck, F150 or C/K-1500 or Ram, preferably a 6 cyl. These have no room for more than one or two passengers (USAA stats show biggest factor in teenage accidents is a vehicle full of kids) and no back seat (common sense tells you what back seats are used for). In a full-size pickup truck, the inevitable teenage accident is more survivable. Second choice would be an old full-size car, but these have all but disappeared from the used car lots. The "cute small car" is a death trap.
  • W Conrad Sure every technology has some environmental impact, but those stuck in fossil fuel land are just not seeing the future of EV's makes sense. Rather than making EV's even better, these automakers are sticking with what they know. It will mean their end.
  • Add Lightness A simple to fix, strong, 3 pedal car that has been tenderized on every corner.
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