Although governments are pushing consumers and automakers to buy electric vehicles, adoption isn’t happening as quickly as expected. This has automakers pivoting back toward combustion engines, embracing hybrids as transitionary vehicles on the path toward full electrification. However, Alpine’s chief hydrogen engineer believes the future will require several solutions to reduce emissions and that regulators have it wrong by outright banning the combustion engine.
Pierre-Jean Tardy told Autoblog.nl, “The combustion engine is not the enemy,” pointing out that the true enemy is fossil fuels and harmful emissions. He noted that combustion engines can run on carbon-free fuels, like hydrogen. However, he did admit that there is no one solution to how we power future vehicles and that it’ll require a “mix” of sources.
Photo by: Alpine
There are several automakers experimenting with combustion hydrogen engines, including Toyota, Ford, and even Yamaha. However, the process of making hydrogen fuel, and most other synthetic types, often still relies on fossil fuels or requires massive amounts of energy, diminishing the benefits and increasing costs.
Tardy is currently working to get the Alpine Alpenglow Hy6 to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2028. It has a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 engine that makes 730 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque.
The Pivot Back Toward Combustion
In the last few months, several automakers have announced they are pivoting back toward developing new cars with combustion engines. Fiat slipped a gas engine back into the electric 500, broadening its appeal. Volkswagen’s upcoming EV platform will be able to accommodate combustion powertrains. Mini has said it won’t abandon gas, and Mazda is working on what it calls “the ideal internal combustion engine.”
Other automakers have hedged their bets, creating platforms that can easily accommodate a range of different powertrain types based on demand. BMW’s Neue Klasse platform, Stellantis’s STLA architecture, and Scout’s future truck and SUV will be able to offer the powertrains people want to buy.
If combustion cars are going to stay on the road, an emission-free fuel they can burn is better than forcing EVs onto consumers who don’t want them.