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A Toyota GR Yaris that runs on hydrogen is under development

Since May this year, a special Toyota Corolla Sport run by the ROOKIE Racing arm of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has been competing in the Super Taikyu Series 2021. Its engine doesn’t run on petrol but uniquely, on hydrogen. This is not the same as the powertrain in the Mirai EV which has its electric motors powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. For the engine in the Corolla Sport, a prototype, the combustion process uses hydrogen.

Combustion in a hydrogen-fuelled engine occurs at a faster rate than in petrol engines, resulting in a characteristic of good responsiveness. While having excellent environmental performance, hydrogen engines still have the typical character of a combustion engine, especially ‘familiar’ sounds and vibrations. Except for the combustion of minute amounts of engine oil during driving, which is also the case with petrol engines, hydrogen engines emit zero CO₂ when in use.

*Prototype Corolla Sport with hydrogen engine racing in Super Taikyu series in Japan.*

Moving to the next steps
As the R&D engineers gain increasing experience and feedback from running the engine in the harsh conditions of motorsport in Japan, they are progressing towards the next steps. This is demonstrated in an experimental hydrogen-powered GR Yaris which shares same powertrain as the prototype Corolla Sport racing car.

*Second generation of the Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) which uses hydrogen in a process that generates electricity.*

The car’s hydrogen fuel, fuel tanks and refuelling process are the same as those found in Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) which is now in its second generation. The hydrogen combustion engine technology is still in the early stages of conceptual development and experimentation, having started in 2017, and is not yet ready for commercialisation. Nonetheless, Toyota’s experimental hydrogen-powered Corolla Sport is already delivering high performance at motorsport events in Japan with almost zero tailpipe emissions.

Modified GR Yaris engine
The engine modified to run on hydrogen is the G16E-GTS, 1.6-litre, in-line 3-cylinder, turbocharged unit used in production versions of the GR Yaris, but with a modified fuel supply and injection system for use with hydrogen as fuel.

*GR Yaris 3-cylinder turbocharged engine (version in production model shown) has been modified to run on hydrogen.*

Toyota has been strengthening its efforts towards achieving carbon neutrality, such as by aiming to promote the use of hydrogen through the popularisation of FCEVs and numerous other fuel-cell-powered products. By further refining its hydrogen engine technologies through motorsports, it intends to aim for the realisation of an even better hydrogen-based society.

Motorsport as a testing ground
The uses of motorsport as a testing ground reflects the firm belief of Kiichiro Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Motor Corporation, that sporting competition is a driver for progress. In March 1952, he said: “Japan’s auto industry must succeed in building passenger vehicles. To this end, manufacturers must participate in auto-racing to test their vehicles’ durability and performance and display their utmost performance. With competition comes progress, as well as excitement among motoring fans. The aim of racing is not just to satisfy our curiosity, but rather to enable the development of the Japanese passenger vehicle industry.”

“We’ve taken the first step to compete with and develop our hydrogen-powered engine with the mindset of taking on the challenge. I imagine things will look a little different 10 years from now, and I hope people will look back and see how we took on the challenge with positivity and enjoyed every moment of it,” added Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation as well as grandson of Kiichiro.

Transitioning to electric vehicles is one approach Toyota is taking to help create a carbon-neutral society. To achieve this goal, it is developing multiple electrified technologies, including hydrogen, which it views as one of the key building blocks for CO₂ reduction.

Second generation fuel cell modules
To help expand its hydrogen technology from cars to more diverse applications, it has repackaged the advanced fuel cell system used in its Mirai saloon into compact fuel cell modules. From January 2022, Toyota will start production of these second generation modules.

The new system has been packaged into modules that are more compact, lighter in weight and provide greater power density. They are available in two formats: a cube and a flat, rectangular shape, allowing greater flexibility and adaptation for different applications.

Toyota began fuel cell development in 1992 and has since continued to refine its hydrogen technology. The second generation fuel cell modules will be assembled by a manufacturing team at Toyota Motor Europe’s (TME) R&D centre in Belgium. The new facility houses a pilot assembly line combining advanced technology content with high-quality assembly techniques.

Toyota chose Europe as the location for its second generation fuel cell module assembly as it sees demand growing significantly across the region. Working with businesses interested in using Toyota’s technology in their applications, TME’s Fuel Cell Business Unit will offer the necessary engineering support for integration. Proximity to its partners and the ability to closely monitor emerging business opportunities will allow the company to scale up supply quickly.

Hydrogen clusters
The expansion of a European hydrogen economy will be a key element in achieving the Green Deal’s objective of net-zero global warming emissions by 2050. The European Union has stated that, to meet this challenge, industry will need ‘climate and resource frontrunners’ to develop the first commercial applications of breakthrough technologies in key industrial sectors by 2030. The emergence of hydrogen clusters in Europe sees different sectors uniting and bringing their skills, technologies and applications together, such as truck, bus and taxi fleets and H2 infrastructure, to create viable business opportunities. This will allow them to flourish and become the nucleus of larger-scale activities.

Government and private sectors offer various forms of assistance to ease burden for flood-affected victims

Victims of the recent floods will face major expenses on repairs and replacing many things. It is going to be a stressful time for everyone, and each will have suffered in varying degrees. Both the government and private sector are doing whatever they can to ease the burden. Apart from providing financial and other forms of aid for the affected, there are also special provisions made for motorists whose vehicles or documents were damaged or lost.

Free replacement of JPJ documents
The JPJ will not charge for replacement of driving licences, Motor Vehicle Licences and Vehicle Ownership Certificates for those affected by the floods. They must however make a police report first which must then accompany their application. Anyone who loses the original documents will need to bring a copy of the police report or Disaster Victim Registration Form issued by the District Office or the Social Welfare Department as evidence.

Meanwhile, the police advise owners of flood-damaged vehicles to make the police reports themselves and not use third parties (such as workshop or tow-truck representatives). They should make sure they have pictures of their vehicles to show the condition as well as the details of the tow-truck company and where the vehicle was taken to.

Specific coverage for floods necessary
While specific flood coverage is needed to make a claim from insurance companies, a police report will protect a vehicle owner so that the workshop and tow-truck company are on record.

Regarding insurance claims, many will not be able to claim from insurance companies if they do not have specific coverage for flood damage. Such cover is not typically included in comprehensive insurance policies and is an optional add-on for an extra charge. In many cases, motorists regret not doing so and then make sure they add it but unfortunately, the damage is already done this time. So do give serious thought to this additional coverage. It used to be thought that living on the west coast is fairly safe as the major floods are on the East Coast but with climate change and other new conditions, it appears that even the west coast is likely to see flooding in future.

*Standard insurance coverage does not cover floods and motorists can add on such coverage (including windscreen damage) for an extra charge.*

ETIQA waives police report requirement
With any insurance claim, a police report is required to confirm damage and other details which the police will investigate. The same applies to claims for flood damage repairs. However, for motorists who have ETIQA as their insurance company and have Special Peril coverage (which includes floods) with their insurance policy, the police report requirement is not necessary. The owner should take pictures of the vehicle at the scene of flooding and the numberplate must be visible.

This waiver came into effect from December 18, 2021 and will remain effective until further notice. So that’s one less headache if you are an ETIQA policyholder but it is only for those affected by floods.

Allianz goes to affected areas
As for other companies, many have assured their policyholders that they will process claims as fast as possible. Allianz, for example, has positioned Allianz-branded 4x4s and a team of adjusters on stand-by in Selangor and Pahang to attend to customers promptly. The 4x4s and Claims Caravan will be routinely deployed to other locations in other affected states to enable a swift and seamless claims process.

*A Ford Ranger used by the Allianz team enables personnel to reach many areas in affected states to help process claims faster.*

While most will think motorists with passenger cars suffering flood damage, commercial vehicles are also affected. Perhaps the bigger ones might not be damaged but there will be many vans and lorries at depots which are likely to have been flooded. They will need repairs too and being important in the logistics industry, they need to be back in operation as quickly as possible so that much-needed food and other items to help victims can be transported.

Keeping transportation industry moving
“The transportation industry is essential and among the more vital economic activities for a business; having a single vehicle off the road for a period of time would cause some sizeable impact,“ said Arman Mahadi, Managing Director of the Daihatsu Malaysia Group which sells a large number of commercial vehicles.

For this reason, the company has initiated the Daihatsu Flood Relief Program which aims to increase fleet uptime in running an efficient operation and ensuring business remains profitable. “The company is deeply saddened and concerned over the well-being of those hit by the disaster. Therefore, we have a business operation recovery process specifically for our Daihatsu owners and corporate fleet customers,“ he said.

Available to all owners of Daihatsu vehicles affected and damaged by the floods, the Daihatsu Flood Relief Program started on December 22 and will be on till February 28, 2022. Available at all authorized Daihatsu service centres nationwide, owners can get a Towing Service Subsidy of up to RM100, up to 40% off selected spare parts with a 1-year /20,000-km warranty (whichever comes first), 20% off on labour services and free vehicle inspection and Door-to-door Daihatsu Mobile Service. Some terms and conditions apply, and the Mobile Service team is subject to availability and location.

Upgraded Team Fordzilla P1 prototype showcased at Gamergy 21 with better streaming capabilities

The full-scale prototype of Team Fordzilla’s P1 – Ford’s virtual racing car created in collaboration with the gamer community – which was unveiled at gamescom 2021 as the ultimate racing simulator has been further developed with impressive new streaming capabilities.

Showcased at the Gamergy 21 event in Madrid, Spain, this month, it now has three 4k cameras that are aimed at the pedals, steering wheel and face. Also incorporated is a 10×4-metre screen so all the action of simracing streams from the P1 racer to gaming fans in an instant. The car is powered by an HP Z4 workstation with players controlling the game through an integrated gaming steering wheel and pedals. HP Reverb G2 goggles give the player a high-quality virtual reality display as they race the world’s great online racetracks.

Enhanced lighting, both front and rear, softly mimics a sleeping person’s breath as the P1 awaits the next race. They then come to life during race time, as the rear lights synchronize with braking moments during play to connect outside spectators to the action. Aural stimulation is also offered, with a built-in audio system channelling realistic, personalised sound design for the driver to take the racing simulator experience to a whole new level.

Project P1
When Team Fordzilla’s original P1 was unveiled, it was the first virtual racing car designed in collaboration between the gamer community and designers from a carmaker. The team unveiled a full-scale prototype of the vehicle 3 months later.

Following the success of the P1 project, Team Fordzilla is now launching a second series as it again seeks collaboration with gamers and Ford designers to create a new Supervan. Ford has experience creating race-inspired Supervans based on its Transit models, the first being 50 years ago in 1971. The new Supervan Vision Concept will imagine what an extreme performance model of future Transit models will look like in the virtual dimension.

*Ford designers are also at work to create a new Supervan. They can draw inspiration from earlier Supervans like the one below which raced round Goodwood in 2013.*

Team Fordzilla
Team Fordzilla made its debut at gamescom 2019 and set out to find driver teams in Germany, Spain, France, Italy and the UK, with a team captain selected for each. In addition to competing in regional and European simulation racing championships, Team Fordzilla also hosted its first Fordzilla Cup competition in 2020.

“The P1 racer is an incredible design project and as a racing simulator is a fantastic experience for the player. This latest development with HP means we can stream that excitement to more people and help them to see the future possibilities of simracing,” said Emmanuel Lubrani, Team Fordzilla, Ford of Europe.

Synergies between gaming and mobility
With the distinction between real and virtual worlds blurring, Ford is increasingly intrigued by synergies between gaming and mobility and how they could help shape the way in which we all get about in the future – whether that is as commuters, as passengers in autonomous vehicles or simply enjoying the thrill of performance.

In 2017, it was the first carmaker to have a stand at Gamescom, which it also later used to conduct the first-ever vehicle reveal at the show. This was the Ranger Raptor, the performance version of the popular global pick-up.

Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland to have F1 and Formula E races on 1:87 scale Monaco circuit

53-year-old Gerrit Braun and his twin brother, Frederik, founded Miniatur Wunderland in Germany’s Hamburg Speicherstadt district 20 years ago. It’s an exhibition space which measures more than 10,000 square metres in size and visited by around 1.4 million visitors a year.

If you have the time to count them, there are 9,250 cars, 269,000 figures, 15,715 metres of track, 1,040 trains with more than 10,000 carriages, 4,340 buildings and 130,000 trees. You’ll find cities, villages, mountain panoramas, an airport, artificial northern lights, and even a fair. It took over 300 employees who spent around one million hours to create this miniature world.

The scale of the models is 1:87 and many of them are Porsche sportscars, including the 99X Electric which was added recently. But unlike other miniature worlds, there will be cars that not just move but also race – just like the real thing, only smaller.

Project started in 2015
The motorsport project has been ongoing since 2015 and it’s their biggest challenge to date. It encompasses the redesigned south of France, which will officially open in the first half of 2022, and features the legendary Monaco Grand Prix course.

“We’ll alternate between Formula One and Formula E races,” said Braun. “Everything true to the original, with parade lap, safety car, starting grid – and then action!”. For visitors to have the perfect view of all the racing action, the Miniatur Wunderland team first had to shrink Monaco. Like everything else, the principality on the French Riviera was reproduced at a scale of 1:87. The racing cars are just 6 cm long and their top speed of 85 cm per second would translate to nearly 270 km/h in the real world. This is as realistic as it gets – but that’s also what makes the whole undertaking so difficult.

Miniatur Wunderland in Germany — *One of the sections of the Monaco circuit.*

A scenario never built before
A small-scale scenario this realistic has never been built before. Everything had to be created from scratch. The software responsible for controlling 20 racing cars was developed on their own computer. The system responds to the driving manoeuvres of the other racers within 50 milliseconds, so each race is different. With real battles for position, passing manoeuvres, and occasionally even a crash. “Of course, we want to avoid that, if at all possible, because then the Safety Car has to come out and a couple of people are kept busy for some time,” Braun said.

While the race simulations are already running in the computer, Braun still has to teach the cars to accelerate at just the right moment. “The software always wants to maintain the lead, but sometimes you just need to slow down during a race. Programming all that is a complicated process,” he explained.

The small electric cars are powered by magnetic fields. The 21-metre course through miniature Monaco is made up of 24 special circuit boards with a total of 1,400 magnetic field sectors, each of which is controlled separately and generates its own magnetic field.

3D-printed racing cars
While the software still needs some work, the racing cars are ready to race. They were created using the model building experts’ 3D printer and sheets of plastic just 0.03 mm thick. 3D data comes from companies like Porsche Motorsport which provided data for the 99X Electric used in Formula E.

The chassis are painted over multiple times and faithfully reproduced down to the smallest sponsor stickers to reflect their full-size counterparts. The underbody conceals a Halbach array, a diamond-shaped panel that serves as the counterpart to the magnetic fields along the course.

If everything goes according to plan, the miniature car races will be the Hamburg team’s next global milestone in the field of model building. “The crowning achievement of all our efforts,” said Braun. “Even more complex than the airport with its airplanes taking off and landing, which was commissioned in 2011.”

Time cannot be shrunk
The fact that the masterminds of miniaturization have been working on the ambitious idea of a real racecourse for 6 years demonstrates their passion as well as the sophistication of the project. But Braun reveals one unsolvable problem with miniaturization: “We may be able to shrink down objects, but we can’t shrink down time.”

Edaran Tan Chong Motor’s Nissan Flood Relief Assistance Program gives owners up to 12 months to settle the total bill

For many motorists, having their vehicle damaged by flooding can mean a very expensive repair bill. If they have insurance coverage that includes flood damage, then they won’t be so badly impacted but many motorists do not have such cover as it is excluded. It can be included (along with other additional cover like windscreen breakage and passenger liability) for an additional fee and if you do live or park in an area that is likely to flood regularly, you may want to add on such coverage.

For those who will have to pay the bills themselves, companies like Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) and Tan Chong Ekspres Auto Servis Sdn. Bhd. (TCEAS) have a Flood Relief Assistance program for Nissan owners whose vehicles have been damaged by the floods. The program offers a discount on parts and labour, extended repayment on the total bill, and free towing services (terms and conditions apply).

Discount and extended repayment plan
A discount of 20% discount will be given on parts and labour charges used for repairs of flood-damaged vehicles. All Nissan Genuine parts used come with a 6-month/10,000-km warranty (whichever comes first).

Understanding that there will be other heavy expenses, especially if the home has also been flooded, owners can repay the total bill over a period of up to 12 months under the Easy Payment Plan.

Also available are Free Towing and Door-to-Door Towing service for vehicles that are badly affected by flooding. The Collect & Deliver service for usual maintenance service over the weekends is also now available.

Special upholstery restoration prices are also available at RM1,655 nett for sedans and RM1,988 nett for MPVs, SUVs, and pick-ups or vans.

Nissan owners can contact the Nissan Customer Care Centre Hotline at 1800-88-3838 for assistance. To locate a TCEAS outlet near them, visit www.tceas.com/servicecentre.

Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected and you may not show symptoms but spread the coronavirus. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.

Leona Chin take Overall Champion MTC title in 2021 Malaysia Championship Series

There have been women in motorsport for a long time and the FIA (the world body governing motorsport) even has a Women & Motor Sport Commission which aims to create a sports culture that facilitates and values the full participation of women in all aspects of the sport.

In Malaysia too, we have a number of women who participate in motorsport and one who has stood above the rest this year is 35-year old Leona Chin. After an impressive season-opener which saw Leona grabbing 2 wins in the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS), she was back at the Sepang International Circuit to tackle the remaining 2 rounds of the championship.

While Round 3 ran in a similar format as the first 2 rounds, the final round came with a different challenge where it was a 300-km endurance race, with double points to the finishers. It was on this final showdown that Leona and her team pulled together to not only win the race, but also collected enough points to be crowned as the Overall Champions in the Malaysia Touring Car (MTC) category. However, the journey to the top was not an easy one as the journey was littered with challenges that could easily alter the course of the race.

A satisfying finish
The start of Round 3 was not what the team was hoping for as troubles had appeared on the car which had hampered the driver’s pace during practice session. Unfortunately, due to a tight schedule, there was not enough time to rectify the issue before qualifying, and the pouring rain just made things a bit more challenging. Despite these setbacks, the 2:43.236 clocked during qualifying was good enough to earn them a P3 in class to start the race in.

But the streak of bad luck did not end on the first day as in Race 1, Leona encountered some misfiring issues which had forced them to spend extra time in the pits for repairs. While the team did their best to fix the problem, the same issue lingered after they rejoined the race. The extra time spent in the pits meant they were two laps behind the race leader, forcing them to settle with a P7.

However, their luck was about to turn the other way around as the few hours before Race 2 were put into good use by the crew to return the car into optimal condition. This time, Akina Teo started the race and he played it safe during the start as the mixed conditions of the track resulted in some nasty crashes in the early stages.

Once the cars were scattered, Akina got to work and started to make up positions along the way. Backed up with vital information provided by the team manager, he was soon pursuing the MTC front runner for the race lead. Making the move at the final few laps, Akina performed a clean overtake on his opponent and brought home another win for the team.

Crowning of the champion
With 2 races down, the focus was shifted to the final 300-km race as the double points finish could play a big role in the championship decider. Akina drove the first stint and he put in a good pace before passing the wheel to Leona. While the team did encounter a few issues along the way, the problems were ironed out quickly and Leona was able to resume the strong pace that the team carried.

This race however came with a bittersweet moment as with 10 laps to go, MTC race leader car #15, which was also under the same outfit as Leona, was involved in a crash at Turn 4. This was no doubt a disappointing news to the team, but it had also reignited the possibility for Leona to win the championship title. Before the crash, they had done an early points calculation which had put Leona as the 1st runner-up for MTC.

At this stage, all they had to do was to bring the car home as the nearest rival was one lap behind. Finally, after 52 laps and over 2 hours of racing, the #7 Suzuki Swift crossed the line not only as the 300KM MTC race winner, but also as the Overall Champions for the category. It was a big moment of joy and relief for Leona who had been chasing the title for years.

“We were all very happy when the results came out. We have been in the industry for many years and were always looked down upon. Today is redemption!” she said.

It has been a fruitful year for Leona as she not only clinched the 2021 MCS MTC Overall Champion title but also won the prestigious 2021 Sepang 1000KM Endurance Race which was held earlier in November. “The achievement for today and this season is not just about the driver, but also about teamwork. Everyone in the team really helped a lot in the strategy, and also in preparing a really good car,” she added.

Piston.my

Latest News

A Toyota GR Yaris that runs on hydrogen is under development

Government and private sectors offer various forms of assistance to ease burden for flood-affected victims

Upgraded Team Fordzilla P1 prototype showcased at Gamergy 21 with better streaming capabilities

Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland to have F1 and Formula E races on 1:87 scale Monaco circuit

Edaran Tan Chong Motor’s Nissan Flood Relief Assistance Program gives owners up to 12 months to settle the total bill

Leona Chin take Overall Champion MTC title in 2021 Malaysia Championship Series

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