► Hydrogen concept shown at Le Mans
► Continues Toyota’s H2 commitment
► Hydrogen class planned for 2027
Toyota hasn’t forgotten about hydrogen power, and neither has Le Mans. To remind us of the ‘other’ powertrain type, Toyota Gazoo Racing has revealed an all-new liquid hydrogen racecar ahead of Le Mans race week. Called the GR LH2 Racing Concept, it follows previous hydrogen concepts from Toyota and will once again double up as a testbed for hydrogen technology in motorsports.
Toyota isn’t just about concepts though; it already races in the Japanese Super Taikyu series with a hydrogen-engined Corolla which is arguably more significant but less cool than the concept you see above. The Corolla made its debut in 2021 using gaseous hydrogen, but it’s since moved to liquid hydrogen since 2023.
Toyota has also applied the hydrogen powertrain to its rally program, with a GR Yaris H2 completing a demo in the Ypres Rally in 2022.
It’s fair to say hydrogen’s popularity pales in companion to that of EVs, but it’s still being championed by brands such as BMW and Toyota – but also the Le Mans 24h race itself. The race often showcases demonstrations or hydrogen-powered concepts – and this year looks to be no different.
It should all serve as a run-up to a hydrogen-powered class that aims to debut at Le Mans in 2027. We say ‘aims’ because both the ACO and FIA (organisations that run the WEC together) originally planned to create a hydrogen-powered class to race in 2024 – though that deadline continues to slip.
Curtis Moldrich is CAR magazine’s Digital Editor and has worked for the brand for the past five years. He’s responsible for online strategy, including CAR’s website, social media channels such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, and helps on wider platform strategy as CAR magazine branches out on to Apple News+ and more.
By Curtis Moldrich
CAR's Digital Editor, F1 and sim-racing enthusiast. Partial to clever tech and sports bikes