Toyota debuted a hydrogen-fueled Corolla race car at the Super Taikyu 24-hour race at Fuji Speedway in Japan.
Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s current chairman and former CEO, called the liquid hydrogen race car a “world first.” The automaker hopes it offers another option to combat global warming.
The race car features a combustion engine but burns liquid hydrogen instead of gas. An Australian coal gasification plant makes the hydrogen used in the Corolla, and Japanese energy company Iwatani Corp. delivers it. Toyota said the advantages of liquid hydrogen include increased cruising range and energy density and smaller hydrogen stations. It also does not need to be pressurized.
The Corolla did not perform well at the Fuji Speedway 24-hour race because its pit stops took several minutes. However, the president of Toyota Gazoo Racing, Tomoya Takahashi, said the introduction of liquid hydrogen in racing showed that the internal combustion engine still holds potential.
The race car’s debut comes after news that 24 Hours of Le Mans, a French endurance race, would allow hydrogen-powered vehicles with combustion engines and fuel cells to compete in 2026. According to Toyota Chief Executive Koji Sato, the automaker hopes to announce its participation in Le Mans.
