The 5.7-liter V8 powered the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Sequoia for over a decade. After a long time spent muddling in the past, Toyota made some sweeping updates for 2022. The Tundra and Sequoia ditched the V8 for a twin-turbocharged V6 and pulled the Land Cruiser from the American market. After all that, now Toyota might be thinking of bringing the old V8 back, but probably not the way you think. 

Does the 2022 Toyota Tundra have a V8? 

The 2022 Toyota Tundra has abandoned its tried and true, albeit highly inefficient 5.7-liter V8. This engine was at the center of Toyota’s rock-solid reputation of reliability. However, with gas prices climbing and the future of the planet to contend with, Toyota made the tough decision to nix the V8 from its lineup. 

Before we could even really begin to get excited about the badass twin-turbo V6 in the 2022 Toyota Tundra, new rumors are swirling suggesting that the V8 could come back. 

What kind of V8 is Toyota making? 

Our friends at Gear Patrol report that rumors out a Japan suggest the return of a Toyota V8 but a far cry from the last one. The rumors say Toyota is working with Yamaha to build a new V8 powered by hydrogen. This new engine is based on Toyota’s 2UR-GSE engine, the outstanding naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 used in the Lexus LC 500.

Even more exciting than an efficient V8 possibly coming to market are the rumors that say Toyota already has a production model in mind, the Toyota Land Cruiser. This would be pretty exciting if true, but it seems unlikely that a V8 would go into anything at all if the Toyota Tundra didn’t get it first. 

Is Toyota making EVs? 

Despite the pile of EV concepts Toyota has shown lately, overall, Toyota has been a little quieter on the EV front than some competitors. Instead, the monster Japanese car marker has leaned more toward hydrogen. These rumors don’t come as a huge surprise, well, at least once you get over the initial shock and excitement of seeing “Toyota” and “V8” again in the same sentence. 

How do hydrogen engines work? 

According to HydrogenHub, the hydrogen engine is one of the oldest engine designs in history. French inventor Francois Isaac de Rivaz developed a primitive engine that was powered by hydrogen and oxygen and ignited by an electric spark.

However, these days,  it would seem the fuel cell is the key to hydrogen-powered vehicles. Even still, it’s all the same chemical reactions that make the concept work. Unlike other engines, a hydrogen engine doesn’t really have moving parts. Well, it does, but the movements happen by a chemical reaction instead of the parts moving to create power. Hydrogen enters the fuel cell from a tank and mixes with oxygen to create H2O in a chemical reaction, which generates the electricity used to power the motors that drive the wheels. 

Will Toyota actually make a hydrogen V8? 

Only time will tell. Toyota has shown interest in this alternative fuel for a while now, so maybe this rumored step with Yamaha is the first domino to fall, ultimately leading to the production of a hydrogen truck.