H uncovered

Toyota entered a hydrogen-powered racecar in the Super Taiku 24-hour race at Fuji as it seeks to prove the long-term future of the ICE

- JURGEN STIFTSCHRAUBE

As the motoring world starts to home in on solutions to what will fuel our transport needs in the future, Toyota has opted to create a hydrogen-powered Corolla Sport, which was given its public competition debut by Rookie Racing in the Super Taiku 24-hour race at Fuji at the end of May.

The car, powered by an internal combustion engine using hydrogen fuel, was driven by the company owner, Akiyo Toyoda, whose plan it was to prove the fuel is safe and that, contrary to popular belief in Japan, he would not be blown up in the process.

Fuel cell electrified vehicles, such as Toyota’s Mirai, use a fuel cell in which hydrogen chemically reacts with oxygen in the air to produce electricity that powers an electric motor. Hydrogen engines generate power through the combustion of hydrogen using fuel supply and injection systems modified from those used in petrol engines.

Combustion in hydrogen engines occurs at a faster rate than petrol engines – Toyota has calculated it at eight times faster. While this will reduce stint times in a racecar environment, despite using compressed hydrogen in the fuel cell, it means there is power available even from low down the rev range, giving excellent throttle response.

Hidden potential

The plan is that the car, which uses the four-wheel-drive system developed in the GR Yaris and is powered by a 1.7-litre, three-cylinder, in-line turbo engine with an intercooler, will be fuelled during races using hydrogen produced at the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field. Although CO2 emissions are lower than a standard fossil fuel engine, they are not zero as small amounts of engine oil are burnt during the combustion process, creating NOx emissions at the tailpipe.