TOYOTA

Japanese company takes the lead with hydrogen-powered competition models equipped with many features that prioritize safety and security

Toyota participated in the last stage of the Super Taikyu, the Japanese Endurance Championship, a four-hour race on the Fuji circuit held last weekend, with an ORC ROOKIE GR Corolla H2 Concept, a model that runs on liquid hydrogen, and with an ORC ROOKIE GR86 CNF Concept, which uses carbon neutral fuel.

The hydrogen-powered Corolla competed for the first time in the 24-hour stage in Fuji, evolving further after the fourth stage of the championship, held last July at the Autopolis circuit.

Toyota continues to promote improvements to the model with a view to the 2024 season, seeking to provide more agility to vehicles and teams by manufacturing increasingly better cars for motorsport.

Hydrogen pumps must generate high fuel pressure with stability to achieve high efficiency. Toyota has improved the pressure boost performance and durability of the pumps, something that has been challenging, to achieve the same level of power as gasoline and hydrogen gas engines.

The maximum number of laps that could be run on a single hydrogen fill-up at the 24 Hours of Fuji in May was 16 laps. Improvements and better accuracy have been made in determining the filling level of the hydrogen tank, reducing the amount of boiling gas by reducing the heat entering the tank and optimizing fuel injection when the accelerator pedal is not fully depressed. Therefore, the objective was to achieve 20 laps per stint in this race.

Hydrogen-powered Toyota Corolla...The hydrogen-powered Corolla is equipped with many features that prioritize safety and security. Toyota has identified parts that can be made lighter using knowledge gained from driving experience, while maintaining an emphasis on safety and security. The weight of the car was reduced by adjusting factors such as thickness and number of parts.

Toyota managed to reduce the weight of the tank, safety valves and boiling gas, as well as the roll cage, parts of the high-pressure hydrogen system and other components to reach the car's weight of 1,860 kg, 50 kg less compared to what the vehicle weighed in the Autopolis stage.

It is necessary to reduce CO² emissions from vehicles and factories, and capture CO² from the atmosphere to achieve carbon neutrality. Toyota took on the challenge of capturing CO² from the atmosphere through an experimental initiative to install a capture device in the engine compartment of the hydrogen-powered Corolla that uses a large volume air intake and the heat generated by combustion.

Specifically, a CO² absorption device will be installed at the air filter inlet, and a CO² separation device that uses heat from the engine oil will be installed next to the air filter. The separated CO² is captured and a small tank filled with an absorbent.

This equipment used to absorb, separate and capture CO² from the atmosphere will use filters coated with an absorbent developed by Kawasaki that can release CO² at lower temperatures than conventional absorbents, increasing capture efficiency.

Hydrogen-powered HiAce trials in Australia...Toyota installed the hydrogen engine in a commercial HiAce to conduct on-road feasibility trials operated by companies operating on public roads in Australia. Thus, Toyota further enhances the hydrogen engine technology that the company continues to improve through participation in Super Taikyu seeking practical application.

To date, Toyota has worked to refine hydrogen engine technology through Super Taikyu, including durability to operate in challenging environments, hydrogen combustion technology, abnormal combustion control and hydrogen safety assurance.

In addition to training in the motorsport environment, Toyota will also test the vehicle on public roads through this driving demonstration to develop its practicality for commercial use as well as operability and durability in the customer's operating environment, which will lead to practical use in the future.

Toyota will continue to accelerate development, refining cars and people in the challenging world of motorsports, as well as continuing to work with its partners to increase options to create an even better, carbon-neutral society.

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