Toyota’s liquid hydrogen-powered GR Corolla H2 Concept gave its best performance yet during the Fuji 24 Hours endurance race held in Shizuoka Prefecture. The race, held at the famous Fuji Speedway with Mount Fuji in the background, tested cars and drivers with foggy weather, red flags, and long hours of racing.
Despite several delays, the GR Corolla completed 468 laps. This was a major improvement from previous years, especially considering the car switched from gaseous hydrogen to liquid hydrogen in 2023.
In 2022, the car had only managed 62.9% of the winner’s laps. But this time, it achieved 83.6%, showing how far Toyota has come in developing hydrogen-powered technology.
Chairman Akio Toyoda was once again behind the wheel, using his racing name “Morizo.” He was joined by a strong team of drivers, including Yasuhiro Ogura, Masahiro Sasaki, SUPER GT driver Hiroaki Ishiura, Mako Hirakawa, who is the sister of WEC driver Ryo Hirakawa and Kazuki Nakajima, the Vice Chairman of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe.
The race was delayed by fog at the start by over an hour, and two red-flag stoppages in the night caused more than three hours of lost racing time. Still, the GR Corolla H2 stayed strong, showing the results of Toyota’s one-year effort to improve the vehicle.
Last year, the car struggled with electrical problems and completed only 332 laps. Since then, Toyota made big upgrades to improve fuel efficiency, reduce car weight, and speed up refueling time.
One important change was a new “lean combustion” system that allows the car to use less fuel when full power isn’t needed. This helped the car go farther without stopping more often.
Another smart improvement was in the hydrogen filling valve. Engineers removed the external actuator and redesigned the piston structure. This cut refueling time by 30% and reduced the risk of hydrogen leaks. The changes also helped make the car lighter.
According to News on Japan, Takahashi Tomoya, President of Toyota’s GR Company, said, “Last season, we were told to build up the fundamental strength to climb the mountain toward practical use. This year, we focused on simply finishing the race with that mindset.”
Toyota also entered another vehicle in the ST-Q class, the GR86 Future FR Concept. This car ran on low-carbon gasoline mixed with 20% bioethanol, made with help from Japanese energy company Eneos.
The GR86 was driven by Kazuya Oshima, Nirei Fukuzumi, Sho Tsuboi, his wife Aimi Saito, Daisuke Toyoda (Akio Toyoda’s son), and Eisuke Sasaki. It completed 523 laps and finished 13th overall. It also won its ST-Q class, proving that bioethanol-fueled cars can also compete strongly in long-distance races.
Even though electric vehicles are getting more popular, Toyota is showing that hydrogen combustion engines can also help build a cleaner future. These engines release very little carbon dioxide while still offering great power and range. Toyota’s liquid hydrogen setup allows nearly 2.5 times more driving range per refill compared to the old gaseous hydrogen version.
Chairman Akio Toyoda said the work is far from over but was happy to see real progress. “We wanted to finish the race. That was our goal. And we did that.”
Ito Naoaki, Chief Engineer at Toyota’s GR Vehicle Development Division, said, “We’re thinking about how to revitalize the auto industry moving forward planting seeds for the future and considering how to attract children into the automotive world.”
