Last year Kawasaki released a few images of the new Kawasaki H2 SX which had Hydrogen tanks on its rear. The images revealed how the tanks would work and the touring motorcycle could come with a hydrogen-powered engine. Now, the company is already testing its hydrogen powered prototype in the Japanese market. This leads us to believe that the hydrogen-fuel powered Ninja H2 SX could soon traverse the streets near you in the near future.
On 20th July, Kawasaki conducted the world’s first public demonstration run of the ICE (internal combustion engine) powered by hydrogen fuel. This is the first time a mass production motorcycle manufacturer has made a public demonstration of hydrogen powered ICE motorcycle. The test was conducted at the Suzuka Racing Circuit in Japan.
Hydrogen ICE
Kawasaki has been working on the hydrogen-powered ICE technology since March 2023. The brand revealed that a Kawasaki Ninja H2 motorcycle with a 998cc in-line 4-cylinder supercharged engine with modification to the fuel delivery systems have made it possible to run on hydrogen fuel. The Kawasaki H2 with a direct injection hydrogen fuel and an on-board fuel supply system with multiple hydrogen fuel canisters have been used.
Hydrogen Vs Gasoline
The Hydrogen ICE motorcycle combusts hydrogen fuel in the same ICE engine, of course modified, and the tail end result is water. However, hydrogen requires a 34:1 ratio of air and fuel mix while gasoline need a 14:1 mixture to achieve the similar power. This means, the motorcycle needs to carry a lot of hydrogen to offer a decent range. Even if hydrogen is stored in the liquid form which require storage at cryogenic temperatures, volume-for-volume gasoline is still four times energy dense than hydrogen and that explains the huge tanks on the rear of the Kawasaki H2.
A New Carbon Neutral Option
The company is also a full member of a research association HySE (Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology) which actively conducts research on hydrogen engines, filling systems and fuel supply systems for small cars as well as motorcycles. Together with HySE, Kawasaki plans to offer another carbon neutral solution to its riders by 2030.
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