Hydrogen-Powered Race Cars Before They Hit the Market

In an exciting announcement made at a press briefing on April 22, Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation, revealed that the company is developing a hydrogen engine for a racing car. The car will be based on the Corolla Sport and will use the Super Taikyu-honed GR Yaris 4WD drivetrain.

The hydrogen engine, developed by ORC ROOKIE Racing, a motorsports privateer team, will be making its debut in the Super Taikyu Series 2021 Powered by Hankook Round 3 NAPAC Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours Race from May 21st to 23rd. Akio, who is also the team owner and driver of ORC ROOKIE Racing, expressed that he has only driven the hydrogen-engine car on gravel so far and has not experienced it on a circuit.

The hydrogen used in the car will be green hydrogen derived from renewable energy and produced at the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture. This move is in line with Akio's desire to make motorsports sustainable and to show that hydrogen is safe.

However, the high pressure and high temperatures caused by hydrogen's quick burn rate make heat management a technical issue for the hydrogen engine. The potential of hydrogen engines in racing is still being explored and is not expected to be fully performed in the coming race due to heat management and other technical challenges.

Akio, as JAMA chairman, strongly appealed for people to understand that "there is a path (toward carbon neutrality) for Japan to choose in which we can fully take advantage of our strengths". He announced the hydrogen engine at this timing because he wants to attempt to demonstrate that internal-combustion engines can be useful in achieving carbon neutrality and turn them into a platform that mechanics and private garages, which support motorsports, can use in the future.

It's worth noting that the car to be raced by Toyota will be a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine vehicle, not a fuel cell electric vehicle. The hydrogen engine in the Toyota car for the Super Taikyu Series has a combustion speed that is eight times faster than gasoline, resulting in low-speed torque almost immediately after the get-go and torque-strong response for the hydrogen engine.

Meanwhile, the private team Gazoo Racing (Toyota Gazoo Racing) will use the hydrogen engine in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race. The decision to race with a hydrogen engine was made due to Akio's goal in the upcoming race, which is to check the balance between how far to push maximum output while maintaining stable combustion.

This move by Toyota is a significant step towards a more sustainable future for motorsports and a demonstration of the potential of hydrogen engines. As we approach the race, fans and enthusiasts alike will be eager to see how the hydrogen-powered car performs on the track.