The problem is that many car manufacturers are attached to traditional ICEs (internal combustion engines). Gas-powered engines have been giving people what they want for a long time.

Some companies have been trying to modify their engines to meet both needs, and one of these companies is Ford. There have been some recently found documents Ford had filed with the U.S Patent and Trademarks Office for a new engine that might fit the bill.

Ford and its hydrogen engine

Jalopnik

reports that Ford's patent is for a modified ICE in which oxygen and hydrogen are mixed through direct injection. This allows both gases to be controlled independently of each other.

This hydrogen engine can use very little fuel compared to gasoline. The most efficient gas-powered engines use 18.5 parts oxygen to one part gasoline, but Ford's proposed engine could use 68 parts air to one part hydrogen.

However, the engine should be able to use a variety of hydrogen-oxygen blends, depending on the needs of the car.

It looks like Ford plans on using this engine alongside a battery in a hybrid powertrain. The battery and motor could be placed in a series, a parallel, or a series-parallel hybrid vehicle.

Ford is not the first to do this. Toyota and Yamaha are also developing a hydrogen engine, but this one is for Ford cars.

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Does the hydrogen engine have drawbacks?

Ford believes its modified engine will have 15% more power than a gas-powered engine using the same amount of fuel. On top of this, hydrogen is the most common element in the world, so you won't have to worry about shortages.

Hydrogen engines also meet zero-emission standards because of what their combustion process leaves. The byproduct of hydrogen and oxygen burning is harmless water vapor.

However, hydrogen is rarely found in its pure form, and people will have to expend energy purifying it. This process will produce emissions of its own.

An even bigger problem is that hydrogen explodes easily. Automakers would have to design new, reinforced fuel tanks to avoid their cars catching fire in every collision. The reinforced tanks would make their cars heavier.

MORE: Hyundai Is Testing Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus in Europe

Ford's other futuristic endeavors

This is all part of Ford's pattern of turning out more environmentally-conscious sporty cars. They rolled out the Mustang Mach-E, a five-passenger SUV EV, in 2020.

Consumer Reports

gave it an overall score of 82. This is ok for a car with a base MSRP range of $43,895 to $61,995.

They are about to introduce an all-electric Transit too, which has a range of 126 miles and will also be sending out the F-150 Lightning later this year.

A replacement for gasoline-powered engines is inevitable given how many manufacturers have promised to drop them. Ford's hypothetical hydrogen engine could be a replacement, but only after a lot of work. Right now, it is only a patent.

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