Liquid Hydrogen-Fueled GR Corolla Set to Race in Super Taikyu Fuji 24h

Having previously fielded a hydrogen gas-powered GR Corrola race car in the Super Taikyu series previously, the Toyota Motor Corporation has now taken the next step in development in the 2023 iteration of the series. The company will now be fielding a liquid hydrogen-powered GR Corolla race car from the second round being held in Fuji. The car was to make its debut during round one though a fire during testing delayed the debut.

The shift to liquid hydrogen represents a significant development, which should help enhance the car's competitiveness on the track. The utilization of liquid hydrogen also streamlines pitstops, enabling refueling to be conducted in the same pit area as gasoline-powered vehicles by eliminating the need for additional equipment required to produce the compressed hydrogen gas and pressurise it to be pumped into the vehicle.

The liquid hydrogen-fuelled GR Corolla gets significant changes to the fueling system.

Furthermore, the GR Corolla itself has shed over 50 kg in weight through continuous development and improvements. The car features a number of new components to properly store the liquid hydrogen that requires to be stored at a cold -253 degrees C while the hydrogen internal combustion engine has stayed unchanged.

Toyota says that the transition to liquid hydrogen has doubled the running range of the vehicle while maintaining the same filling time of approximately 1.5 minutes. The company has said that it will continue to make further enhancements in engine performance, running range, and filling time throughout the season.