Toyota & GAC develop ammonia-powered IC engine

While ammonia has half the energy density of petrol, it doesn't emit carbon, hydrocarbons or CO2 when burnt.

Chinese automaker GAC, in conjunction with Toyota, is said to have developed an internal combustion engine that runs on liquid ammonia.

According to reports, the new IC engine is a 2.0-litre unit capable of producing 161 BHP, with claims of emitting up to 90% less carbon dioxide compared to an equivalent petrol-powered engine.

While internal combustion engines running on ammonia have already been explored as an alternate fuel in the trucking and shipping industries, it is the first time ammonia has been explored for passenger cars. Reports state that while ammonia has half the energy density of petrol, it doesn't emit carbon, hydrocarbons or CO2 when burnt.

Having said that, using ammonia does come with its risks. Ammonia would emit a lot of nitrogen in an engine which doesn't have a high compression ratio, and also the fact that constant exposure of it can be fatal to humans.

While GAC is yet to confirm whether it actually intends to make production cars powered by ammonia, BloombergNEF analyst Colin McKerracher is confident the idea won't take off.

Source: Autocar UK