Subaru may now have three battery-electric vehicles in its lineup, but the automaker is continuing to explore other technologies. A newly discovered patent shows Subaru working on a hydrogen safety system designed to reduce potential risks involving the electric drive motor and hydrogen tank during a crash.
Subaru Develops a New Approach to Hydrogen Crash Safety
The patent, identified by CarBuzz, does not focus on generating hydrogen power. Instead, it describes a structural solution intended to control how key components move during a collision.
Subaru’s invention involves a portion of the structure holding the electric drive motor that is designed to break in a specific way during a severe crash. The controlled failure would angle the motor upward while forcing the hydrogen tank downward, helping prevent the two components from being crushed together.
Crash safety priorities vary depending on a vehicle’s powertrain. In gasoline-powered vehicles, the fuel tank and engine require particular attention. In electric vehicles, the motors and battery pack are key areas of concern.
For hydrogen-powered vehicles, the tank containing pressurized hydrogen requires significant protection. These tanks are designed to be highly resilient, using special carbon-fiber weaves and other materials intended to withstand internal pressure and external stress.
Why the Hydrogen Tank Needs Protection
Hydrogen tanks are typically positioned in a vehicle’s center tunnel, an area that is structurally strong and protected. However, a serious front-end collision could drive the motor backward toward the tank, creating potential risks for occupants.
In a sufficiently severe crash, the motor could strike the tank with enough force to puncture it, resulting in a high-pressure hydrogen fuel leak. Even if the tank remains intact, it could force the motor upward into the floor and potentially cause injuries to the driver and passengers.
How Subaru’s Patent Controls Motor and Tank Movement
Subaru’s proposed solution is designed to direct the movement of both the motor and hydrogen tank during a crash. The system uses a link engineered to fail when collision forces reach a sufficient level.
If an impact pushes the motor toward the tank with enough force, the link fails and bends. The motor then rotates slightly around its front mounts as it continues moving rearward.
When a mount at the rear of the motor contacts the front of the tank, the mount compresses. This movement pushes the rear of the motor slightly upward while, more importantly, forcing the front of the tank downward.
Lowering the tank allows the motor to continue moving backward until the crash forces have been dissipated. In theory, the tank avoids being punctured while the motor is prevented from entering the passenger compartment.
Subaru Continues Exploring Hydrogen Technology
Safety has long been an important focus for Subaru, making the company’s work on a crash-related concept unsurprising. The more notable element is that the patent is connected to hydrogen fuel-cell technology.
Subaru’s continued work in the area also follows a 2024 announcement involving Subaru, Toyota and Mazda, which said the three Japanese automakers would take a combined approach to carbon neutrality.
Mazda is working on experimental fuels, while Toyota is pursuing hydrogen fuel cells and combustion. Subaru’s newly identified patent suggests the automaker may also be contributing to hydrogen technology through the safety side of the equation.
