Hydrogen combustion engines are not fuel-cell powertrains. They use hydrogen inside modified internal-combustion engines, much like gasoline or diesel is burned today. That makes the technology attractive to companies with deep experience in engines, transmissions, exhaust aftertreatment, and heavy equipment—but it also leaves familiar combustion-engine challenges, including nitrogen-oxide emissions, hydrogen storage, and fueling infrastructure.
The companies below are working on hydrogen-burning engines at very different levels. Some are testing race cars or prototypes, some are developing engines for construction and commercial vehicles, and others already report series production or limited customer deliveries.
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What makes a hydrogen combustion engine different?
A hydrogen internal-combustion engine burns hydrogen in its cylinders to create mechanical power. A fuel-cell vehicle takes a different route: the fuel cell produces electricity, which drives an electric motor. Hydrogen combustion can preserve more of the driving character, manufacturing knowledge, and service infrastructure associated with conventional engines, but it does not eliminate every exhaust-emissions issue.
Hydrogen contains no carbon, so burning it does not create fuel-derived carbon dioxide in the same way as gasoline or diesel. However, the high temperatures inside an engine can still produce NOx. Engine oil can also create small trace emissions. The overall climate benefit additionally depends on how the hydrogen was produced and transported.
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The 10 companies investing most seriously in hydrogen combustion
1. Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota has one of the most visible hydrogen-ICE programs in the automotive industry. The company began publicly developing hydrogen-powered race cars in 2016 and has used Super Taikyu endurance racing to test combustion, fuel delivery, durability, and refueling concepts under demanding conditions.
Racing is not Toyota’s only hydrogen-engine activity. The company is part of HySE, the Japanese research association focused on hydrogen engines for small mobility. Within that group, Toyota is responsible for applying HySE research to larger hydrogen-fueled power units. Toyota’s work is therefore best understood as long-term technology development rather than evidence of an imminent mass-market hydrogen passenger car.
Toyota is also pursuing fuel-cell vehicles, but those projects should not be counted as hydrogen combustion. The company’s hydrogen race cars and HySE work are the relevant ICE programs.
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Yamaha developed a 5.0-liter V8 hydrogen engine for Toyota and has continued to investigate hydrogen combustion for motorcycles, recreational off-road vehicles, generators, and other small-power applications. Its αlive H2E program uses an internal-combustion engine that burns hydrogen while retaining many familiar engine technologies.
Yamaha is also the chair of HySE. That gives it a central role in developing hydrogen engines for motorcycles and other compact vehicles, where packaging, throttle response, heat management, and refueling time matter as much as peak efficiency.
Yamaha describes hydrogen combustion as eliminating fuel-carbon CO2, while qualifying that claim because ultratrace emissions from engine oil can still occur. The technology is not automatically emissions-free, particularly where NOx regulations are stringent.
3. Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Motors
Kawasaki is working on hydrogen across land, marine, aerospace, and industrial applications. Kawasaki Motors is a regular HySE member, researching hydrogen engines, fuel-supply systems, and refueling equipment for small mobility. Kawasaki has also investigated hydrogen-powered motorcycles.
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The wider Kawasaki Heavy Industries group is working on much larger engines. Its hydrogen-mixed-fuel combustion systems can operate large gas engines with up to 30% hydrogen mixed with natural gas. That is different from a hydrogen-only engine, but it provides a route for lowering the carbon intensity of existing gas-engine equipment without replacing the complete power unit.
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Kawasaki’s portfolio illustrates that hydrogen combustion is not one single product category. It includes pure-hydrogen research, dual-fuel or blended-fuel systems, small vehicles, and industrial power generation.
4. Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Honda is another regular HySE member. Its documented hydrogen-combustion involvement centers on collaborative research into engines for motorcycles, small vehicles, marine craft, construction equipment, and drones.
Honda’s hydrogen strategy also includes fuel-cell vehicles, which can make the company’s overall hydrogen activities appear broader than its hydrogen-ICE work actually is. For this list, the relevant program is the HySE research effort, not Honda’s fuel-cell technology.
Honda has not publicly positioned a hydrogen-combustion passenger vehicle as a normal showroom product. Its current role is better described as foundational research and joint development, with potential applications in small mobility and equipment.
5. Suzuki Motor Corporation
Suzuki has continued developing hydrogen engines for small mobility through HySE. It displayed a hydrogen-engine Burgman scooter at Japan Mobility Show 2025, showing how the company is exploring hydrogen in a familiar two-wheeler format rather than limiting the technology to large commercial engines.
Suzuki also participated in the HySE-X2 project at the 2025 Dakar Rally. The research vehicle used a 998-cc supercharged four-cylinder hydrogen engine and 70-MPa hydrogen storage. A Dakar vehicle is valuable as a development platform because it exposes the engine, storage system, cooling system, and controls to extreme vibration, heat, dust, and sustained load.
Neither project should be interpreted as series production. Suzuki’s hydrogen Burgman and Dakar vehicle are demonstrations of continuing research, not proof that a hydrogen scooter or off-road car is broadly available to buy.
6. JCB
JCB is one of the clearest examples of a company developing a dedicated hydrogen combustion engine for construction equipment. Rather than relying only on batteries or fuel cells, JCB developed a fully working hydrogen engine intended to fit the operating needs of heavy machinery.
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JCB says its 71-kW hydrogen engine has undergone regulatory testing under European Union engine-emissions rules. That is a significant step beyond a desk study or static laboratory concept, although the availability, certification, and supported market for any individual machine still need to be checked by model and jurisdiction.
Construction equipment presents a practical case for hydrogen combustion. Machines may operate for long shifts, require rapid refueling, and work in locations where battery charging would be difficult. The trade-off is that operators need a dependable hydrogen supply, suitable storage, and equipment capable of handling high-pressure fuel safely.
7. Cummins Inc.
Cummins has developed hydrogen internal-combustion engines for commercial vehicles, including the 6.7-liter B6.7H and larger 15-liter-class engines. These programs target trucks and other demanding applications where the company already supplies diesel powertrains.
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Cummins reported more than a 99% reduction in tailpipe carbon emissions from the 6.7-liter demonstrator compared with the applicable diesel reference, while also targeting very low NOx. That result applies to the reported test configuration; it should not be generalized to every hydrogen engine or every hydrogen source.
Cummins explicitly separates hydrogen ICE from fuel-cell powertrains. Its hydrogen combustion engines can use familiar engine architectures and mechanical power delivery, while fuel-cell systems generate electricity for an electric drivetrain.
8. DEUTZ AG
DEUTZ has moved further toward commercialization with its TCG 7.8 H2 hydrogen combustion engine. The six-cylinder engine is designed for off-highway and stationary applications and is based on the company’s existing engine technology.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsDEUTZ states that the TCG 7.8 H2 is in series production. It has also supplied hydrogen-powered generator sets for deployment in China. That places DEUTZ among the companies on this list with a reported production engine, rather than a program limited to prototypes or public demonstrations.
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Series production does not mean hydrogen engines are as widely available as diesel engines. Customers still need the right hydrogen supply, storage, safety systems, and local regulatory approvals. But DEUTZ’s production claim is an important distinction when comparing its program with motorsport and research projects.
9. MAN Engines and MAN Truck & Bus
MAN has hydrogen-combustion programs in stationary power, marine engines, off-road equipment, and trucks. Its H3268 is a dedicated stationary hydrogen engine based on the E3268 gas-engine platform. The company has also developed the H4576 for off-road applications.
In road transport, MAN’s H45 hydrogen engine powers the hTGX truck. MAN stated that the hTGX entered a small-series customer rollout in 2025. This is a more advanced commercial position than a technology demonstrator, but it remains a limited rollout rather than mass production for every truck market.
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MAN’s marine work shows another form of hydrogen combustion. The D2862 hydrogen dual-fuel engine substitutes hydrogen for part of the fuel but still uses diesel for ignition. It is therefore not a hydrogen-only powertrain. That distinction matters when comparing fuel consumption, emissions, onboard storage, and operational requirements.
MAN has also warned that hydrogen’s environmental performance depends on its source. In its 2025 sustainability analysis, the company found that a hydrogen-ICE vehicle could have a worse life-cycle impact than diesel under the assumed EU hydrogen mix, while cleaner hydrogen production substantially improves the result.
10. AVL
AVL, through AVL RACETECH, is developing high-performance hydrogen combustion engines for motorsport and advanced engineering. Its racing-engine program targets approximately 150 kW per liter, a very high specific output for a hydrogen engine.
The project uses a relatively low level of excess air compared with many lean-burn hydrogen engines. That approach reflects AVL’s focus on power density, combustion control, and racing performance rather than immediate volume production for passenger cars.
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Which companies are closest to real-world sales?
The answer depends on what counts as “commercial.” DEUTZ reports series production of the TCG 7.8 H2, while MAN has reported a small-series truck rollout. JCB has a working and tested engine, but machine availability and certification remain market-specific. Cummins is developing commercial-vehicle engines, but its best-known hydrogen units are still part of a broader development portfolio.
| Company | Main application | Current position |
|---|---|---|
| DEUTZ | Off-highway and stationary power | Reports series production |
| MAN | Trucks, marine, stationary, off-road | Small-series truck rollout; other programs at different stages |
| JCB | Construction equipment | Working 71-kW engine; certification and availability vary |
| Cummins | Commercial vehicles | Demonstrators and developing engine portfolio |
| Toyota, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki | Cars, motorcycles, small mobility, and research vehicles | Research, prototypes, demonstrations, or consortium projects |
| AVL | Motorsport and engineering | Advanced development program |
The biggest obstacles for hydrogen ICE
- Hydrogen storage: Vehicles need bulky, high-pressure tanks. Suzuki’s HySE-X2, for example, uses 70-MPa storage, illustrating the pressures involved in mobile applications.
- NOx control: Hydrogen has no carbon, but combustion temperatures can create NOx. Mixture preparation, combustion timing, exhaust aftertreatment, and operating strategy all affect the result.
- Fuel availability: A hydrogen engine is only useful where the vehicle can be refueled. Heavy equipment and fleet depots may be easier to serve than scattered passenger-car drivers.
- Hydrogen production: “Hydrogen-powered” does not automatically mean low-carbon. Electrolysis powered by clean electricity has a different life-cycle footprint from hydrogen made using fossil fuels or a carbon-intensive grid.
- Limited economies of scale: Battery-electric and fuel-cell vehicles compete for the same zero-carbon-fuel investment. Hydrogen combustion must justify its tanks, fueling equipment, efficiency losses, and emissions controls against those alternatives.
FAQ
Is a hydrogen combustion engine the same as a fuel-cell vehicle?
No. A hydrogen combustion engine burns hydrogen in cylinders and produces mechanical power directly. A fuel-cell vehicle converts hydrogen into electricity, then uses that electricity to power an electric motor.
Do hydrogen combustion engines produce zero emissions?
No. They eliminate fuel-derived carbon dioxide, but combustion can still produce nitrogen oxides. Small trace emissions from engine oil are also possible, and the total climate benefit depends on how the hydrogen is produced.
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Which company is furthest along commercially?
DEUTZ reports series production of its TCG 7.8 H2 engine for off-highway and stationary applications. MAN has reported a small-series rollout of the hTGX hydrogen truck. Other companies on the list are generally at the prototype, demonstration, research, or specialized-development stage.
Can a hydrogen engine run on hydrogen only?
Some are designed to burn hydrogen as the main or sole fuel, but not every hydrogen powertrain is hydrogen-only. MAN’s D2862 marine engine, for example, is hydrogen-diesel dual fuel and requires diesel for ignition.
The Bottom Line
Hydrogen combustion engines have moved well beyond a theoretical concept. Toyota, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, and Suzuki are using racing, motorcycle, and consortium programs to solve small-mobility and high-performance problems. JCB and Cummins are adapting the technology for heavy-duty work, while DEUTZ and MAN have pushed into production or limited customer deployment. AVL is pursuing the performance frontier.
That variety is also the main reason to avoid broad claims about hydrogen ICE. A series-produced stationary engine, a Dakar prototype, a hydrogen-diesel marine engine, and a racing demonstrator are not equivalent products. Hydrogen combustion may be especially useful where long operating hours, quick refueling, and existing engine expertise matter—but its success will depend on NOx control, safe storage, available fueling, and genuinely low-carbon hydrogen.
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