Slutet för elbilen meddelar Toyota. Nu är det ammoniakmotorer som gäller

Then there’s the fact that these engines will release a mess-load of nitrogen into the atmosphere if they don’t maintain sufficient levels of high compression or boost. So an improperly tuned, or misfiring ammonia motor could potentially be quite harmful, as this would lead to even more ammonia and ozone being released into the atmosphere. Acid rain, respiratory illnesses in children and elderly, birth defects… You name it, this stuff has the power to cause it when improperly combusted.

And then there is the substance itself, which is downright dangerous, both in regard to its natural state and manufacturing. It’s not like we can just pump ammonia out of the earth like crude either. The thermodynamic energy alone that would be required to convert liquid ammonia into a large-scale viable fuel source would completely negate the environmental benefits that Toyota and GAC are so quick to pitch to the public.

There’s also the underlying concern of infrastructure. To get ammonia fuel into these engines in the first place, you are going to need a hell of a lot of fueling stations that can safely and effectively store and distribute the substance. You’ll also need to get the ammonia to the pump somehow, which is a little scary to think about if you consider the number of tanker trucks and trains that would be rolling around with this toxic chemical inside.

And while ammonia is typically stored similarly to propane, its exposure to the human body is far more dangerous than say gasoline or diesel. Sure, it won’t combust like petroleum-based fuels, but holy hell is it corrosive and downright dangerous for the eyes and lungs. So we can’t (and don’t want to) imagine what a car crash between a couple of ammonia-powered cars would look like for all parties involved…