Where Does Porsche Stand On Hydrogen Propulsion?

Porsche is late to the hydrogen game

Companies like BMW and Toyota have been meddling with hydrogen propulsion for over a decade now, with Toyota seeming to be the most likely manufacturer to bring out a production-ready hydrogen-combustion vehicle. Hyundai joined the hydrogen race a bit more recently, although still beating Porsche to the game. That said, Porsche has been considering hydrogen propulsion as a way forward, and in 2022, a simulation done by the company bore exciting results.

Porsche simulated a lap around the Nurburgring with the "newly-developed", 4.4-liter, twin-turbo engine. The results below are as published by Porsche Engineering Magazine:

Is Porsche working on a hydrogen combustion engine or FCEV?

Porsche’s experiments over the last two years show the company is considering hydrogen as a viable source of power. There are two possible routes with hydrogen fuel – either modify the existing, internal combustion engine to work on hydrogen, including Porsche’s iconic, boxer engines, or go down the route of fuel-cell electric vehicles. But which is more likely to happen?

Porsche planned to electrify 80 percent of its lineup by 2030, but the latest sales figures suggest fully-electric Porsche models aren’t as popular as the company had hoped. The latest EV sales figures by Porsche make the development of FCEV models financially unsound. Hydrogen combustion engines seem like a better option, considering Porsche just proved combustion power is still where it’s at, but there is another issue there.

Hydrogen as fuel cannot be used without modifications to the engine

While hydrogen combustion is used for commercial purposes, it works in engines with a relatively low specific output. So far, it seems only Toyota has cracked the hydrogen-combustion engine code without sacrificing performance. Porsche’s simulated hydrogen engine required a few modifications, including a higher compression ratio, tweaks to the combustion process, and new turbochargers, since hydrogen-powered engines require twice as much air to be forced by the turbochargers.

One solution came from Porsche’s motorsport experience. Porsche, apparently, developed a real-life version of this 4.4-liter hydrogen-burning V8, but we have yet to see it into a production model. Porsche did not give us the exact MPG on the engine but assures us it boasts high efficiency according to the WLTP European cycle. Moreover, the engine easily covers the Euro 7 eco-norms without any exhaust gas aftertreatment equipment necessary.

Porsche has other plans to reduce emissions

Like other car companies, Porsche is looking at synthetic fuels to reduce its carbon footprint. In December 2022, Porsche announced the launch of a wind-powered, e-fuel production plant, in Chile. Porsche has partnered with companies like HIF Global, ExxonMobil, and Siemens Energy, to produce emission-free synthetic fuels for its combustion engines. The best part is that, unlike hydrogen fuel, these e-fuels do not require modifications to the existing engine architecture.

At this point, the biggest issue continues to be logistics. At the very least, Porsche is flexible about hydrogen. The company puts efforts into what appears to be a better alternative, although recent breakthroughs in hydrogen production have made the green fuel more attainable. Will Porsche, once again, switch its focus? We’ll have to wait and watch.