“IT CARS, who proposes to customers non-conventional information systems, market strategies and business models with updated information equipment, software, telecommunication technologies and marketing theory, has announced the development of a conversion kit for transformation from the conventional gasoline engine into a hydrogen-fueled car combined with gasoline for the automobile industry and other various industries. The development has been materialized since 2009 on the advice of Kimitaka Yamane, associate professor of Tokyo City University at the Hydrogen Energy Center belonging to its multi-discipline laboratory.

With regard to the choice of a light automobile for the development, Sakuichirou Imai, environmental technical manager of IT CARS said, “It is the most difficult challenge technically, but our success in the smallest car would bring out easier applications to all other types of vehicle.” The developed car passed the examination and inspection on relation with hydrogen as well as the vehicle itself at JARI (Japan Automobile Research Institute) and Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization, and obtained a number in June this year, according to the company. As for the compressed hydrogen gas to be filled, they completed registration of the gas to HySUT (The Research Association of Hydrogen Supply/Utilization Technology) and it can be filled now in any hydrogen filling station all over the country. The conversion kit will be applicable to gasoline, diesel, hybrid, LPG and natural gas cars.

The conversion kit for automobiles fueled by hydrogen in combination with gasoline consists of the followings:

Hydrogen injector, hydrogen combustion line, shut-off valve, check valve, filling orifice, filter, sensors, dedicated ECU and mounting harness for dual fuel, high-pressure H2 gas tank (35MPa), gasoline injector, regulator, H2 leak detection sensor, H2 level meter/H2 gas management system for driver’s seat and attachments adaptor for gasoline injector.

A kit-mounted car fueled by hydrogen combined with gasoline is capable to run a total distance of 500km (with a full load of hydrogen for 150km plus gasoline for 350km). When you drive on the downtown roads, only hydrogen is used, and in case hydrogen runs out, only gasoline is used. For a high-load driving like overtaking, both hydrogen and gasoline will be used.”