The past few years have seen various automakers commit to focusing on purely electric product portfolios. But some firms beg to differ by believing that internal-combustion engines still have lots of life left in them. In fact, three car companies have committed to working together in making such engines relevant in a carbon-neutral setting.

Subaru, Toyota and Mazda will be embarking on the development of piston engines, which can run on a variety of carbon-neutral fuels. These include synthetic fuels, biofuels, and hydrogen. The motors that will be produced from this research effort will be used for things like hybrid power units. This should offer buyers more flexibility in places where charging infrastructure isn’t widespread.

As expected, each company will be utilizing its specific area of expertise. Subaru is confident that it can engineer its iconic boxer motor to use synthetic fuels. Toyota is keen on showing that clean engines can still be powerful and reliable. And Mazda is convinced that rotary power units are viable candidates for carbon-neutral propulsion systems.