Kawasaki is actually building a hydrogen-powered horse

Big and Rich once sang "save a horse, ride a cowboy", but what if you could service your horse at a local Kawasaki dealership and only had to feed it hydrogen?

First revealed at EXPO 2025 in Osaka last April, Kawasaki's CORLEO is a futuristic hydrogen-powered mobility vehicle that uses four independently actuated robotic legs instead of conventional wheels.

And now it seems like this wacky concept is headed for production, with the Japanese firm announcing a move towards the commercialisation of the CORLEO. Kawasaki plans to debut the final product at EXPO 2030 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before a production version is made available to consumers in 2025.

A quick look at the promotional video shows that CORLEO is clearly inspired by history’s noble four-legged companion – the horse. Kawasaki even goes as far as using terms like “hooves” and “stirrups” to describe the vehicle’s components.

So, are we looking at a future Melbourne Cup winner? Not quite. Kawasaki says the CORLEO is designed as an “off-road personal mobility vehicle” capable of traversing a wide variety of rough and uneven terrain – and even scaling mountains.

The CORLEO is powered by a 150cc hydrogen engine, with separate motors driving each of its four legs individually. Hydrogen fuel is supplied from a canister mounted at the rear.

Riders control the machine by shifting their weight, with movements detected by handlebars and footpegs (or stirrups). Each leg is equipped with a rubber “hoof” to absorb shocks from irregular surfaces and resist slipping.

The CORLEO also features an instrument panel displaying hydrogen levels, route information, the rider’s center of gravity, and other essential data. At night, it even projects markers on the ground to help navigate the path ahead.

It might be a while before you can put down a deposit on Kawasaki's robotic nag, but at least you can bet Daryl Braithwaite will keep banging out The Horses every chance he gets.