Toyota unveils hydrogen-powered test car at Le Mans 24 Hours

Toyota has unveiled a hydrogen-powered prototype test car as the next step on the road to racing with the alternative fuel at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

A car Toyota is calling the GR LH2 Racing Concept was unveiled at Le Mans on Wednesday and is designed to advance its understanding and knowledge of running an internal combustion engine fuelled by liquid hydrogen.

The GR LH2 has been built at Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe in the German city of Cologne around a chassis from its GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar.

No details of the engine or hybrid system, which have been developed at Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre in Japan, were revealed.

TGRE chairman Kazuki Nakajima said: “Our intent at this moment is to test the car, test not only the combustion engine but to learn a lot about the infrastructure and fuelling system.

“Our main target right now is to expand the possibilities of hydrogen combustion engine technology.

“There is more to come and to get to the right level we need to improve the technology further.”

A timeline for the car hitting the track has yet to be laid down by Toyota. 

“I cannot define exactly when; I can only say it is not far off,” Nakajima stated.

Toyota has pioneered the use of hydrogen in motorsport with a line of modified Corollas in the Super Taikyu series in Japan since 2021.

A second-generation of the car known as the GR Corolla H2 came on stream in 2023. It was fuelled by liquid hydrogen rather than the gaseous hydrogen of the original. 

Toyota announced its intent to run the technology at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship in 2023 when it took the wraps of the GR H2 Racing Concept show car. 

The introduction of hydrogen at Le Mans was initially scheduled for 2024, but has been set back until 2028 after a series of delays.

GR LH2 Racing Concept

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Toyota has insisted that having a car ready by then will depend on the full regulations becoming available.

The first step on that road was taken this week with the confirmation of the safety regulations for the use of liquid hydrogen in motorsport by the FIA.

The protocols for its use were signed off by this week’s FIA Motor Sport World Council in Macau.

They include strict standards for vehicle integration, storage systems and refuelling procedures. Key safety measures will include pressure-tested compartments and leak detection.