Toyota Gazoo Racing is committing to its long-running FIA WEC and Le Mans 24 hypercar program, as much as and including constructing a next-generation automobile powered by hydrogen. The series had previously announced that it could allow hydrogen-powered vehicles to compete within the top flight Hypercar category, where Toyota currently races the gasoline-electric hybrid GR010, for the 2026 season, but that has now been postponed to 2028. During this 12 months’s Le Mans festivities back in June, Toyota unveiled a preliminary take a look at the GR H2, the hydrogen-powered automobile it plans to run, shown here.
The regulations haven’t yet been finalized for hydrogen power, and Toyota is patiently waiting for updates from the FIA and ACO. It isn’t yet clear if the regulations would allow for hydrogen combustion, which Toyota prefers, or if the cars should be hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. It isn’t yet clear whether the teams might be allowed to store hydrogen in liquid form aboard their race cars. And there’s no clarity regarding pit stops or stint lengths. Toyota, nevertheless, are preparing to run the race with hydrogen power regardless. Most of its eggs are on this basket.
Within the 2028 season manufacturers who want to enter hydrogen-powered cars might be limited to running them in only three races to assist develop this system to a full season in 2029. Toyota has been running its GR010 since 2021 with minimal changes, and it says that it couldn’t possibly develop its alternative similtaneously the GR H2. Subsequently, the GR010 will proceed on with minor evolution until Toyota can step right into a full-time hydrogen program.
“It could be very difficult. That will be two sorts of automobile,” John Litjens, Toyota Motorports project leader noted. “…but to develop two full cars in parallel just isn’t possible.”
As luck would have it, Toyota is already racing a hydrogen-fueled combustion engine-powered GR Corolla in Japan’s Super Taikyu series, and even entered the identical automobile within the Idemitsu 1500 Super Endurance event in Thailand to get some long-race testing with the machine.
To Toyota’s credit, it probably knows more about racing with hydrogen fuel than every other automaker on the planet, and if anyone can turn that into success at Le Mans, it’ll be Toyota.
This Article First Appeared At jalopnik.com
