Phinia Inc., which develops specialist fuel and aftermarket technologies and components, has collaborated with Green Corp Konnection (GCK Group) and Solution F on a project to retrofit and convert a 1976 Jeep Cherokee into a hydrogen internal combustion engine (H₂ ICE) vehicle.
GCK is a group of industrial companies offering technological solutions to accelerate the decarbonization of transportation, with a particular focus on hydrogen. Solution F specializes in clean propulsion systems. As part of the Cherokee project, Phinia supplied compact DI H₂ Injector components for the retrofit.
By converting the classic Jeep Cherokee’s high-powered V8 engine to hydrogen, the project seeks to highlight the broader potential applications of H₂ ICE technology in commercial vehicles and motorsports.
Phinia got involved in the project at the end of 2022 and has provided various components, including the DI CHG10 Injector and Injector Driver, and supported testing efforts, in particular H₂ combustion simulation and calibration.
“Working on this project with GCK Group and Solution F has been a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our technical expertise and knowledge, as well as the versatility and simplicity of our industry-leading products in hydrogen solutions,” said Todd Anderson, chief technology officer at Phinia.
“We have greatly enjoyed being involved in the conversion of this iconic vehicle. The project illustrates the very real applications of hydrogen right now, its viability as an alternative to the internal combustion engine, and underlines our collective vision to promote and enable combustion engine decarbonization across all vehicle types,” he said.
The three companies previously collaborated on a similar project in June 2023 for the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours where they showcased the Foenix H2, one of the world’s first GT racing cars powered by a hydrogen combustion engine.
Both the Foenix H2 and the 1976 Jeep Cherokee Chief use the same engine base and Phinia components.