A new super-conducting pump is helping to revolutionise its hydrogen program
Toyota moved its hydrogen racing car programme on at the beginning of June with the TGRR GR Corolla H2 Concept and the TR LH2 Racing Prototype.
The pair made appearances at the Fuji 24 Hours Race in Japan and prior to the Le Mans 24 Hours respectively. Both are ICE-powered but fuelled by liquid hydrogen as part of Toyota’s research into developing the use of hydrogen fuel, which has been ongoing since the FCEV-1 hydrogen fuel cell prototype of 1996.
The GR Corolla, powered by a hydrogen version of the three-cylinder GR Yaris engine, completed 468 laps at the finish with fuel being fed to the engine by a new, super-conducting hydrogen pump, something that Toyota is claiming as a world first. The job of the hydrogen pump is to compress liquid hydrogen as it leaves the tank on its way to the engine.
Previously, pumps were fairly conventional affairs powered by an electric motor. The new pump has a super-conducting motor, super-conductivity being a phenomenon that occurs at extreme low temperatures, such as at liquid hydrogen’s -253deg C. With this arrangement, the pump can therefore be mounted inside the tank instead of on top, as in the case of previous versions.
Doing so frees up space, increasing the tank’s capacity from 220 litres in 2025 to 300 litres. The motor unit is fairly hefty so mounting it lower, inside the tank, subsequently lowers the centre of gravity, which should improve vehicle dynamics.
The car was also paired with Toyota’s Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT), the first time that unit has been used in conjunction with the hydrogen engine. The DAT is an eight-speed torque-converter automatic, developed on the race track and rally stage.
A match for a dual-clutch transmission and faster than a manual, says Toyota, the DAT brings lock-up clutches into play once the car is rolling to avoid driveline slip and was calibrated on track to anticipate the driver’s next move.
The Corolla first appeared with Rookie Racing in the Japanese Super Taikyu Series as the ORC Rookie GR Corolla H2 Concept, and was fuelled by gaseous hydrogen from 2021 before the introduction of liquid hydrogen from 2023.
The GR Yaris H2 also demonstrated the company’s hydrogen ICE technology by completing demonstration runs at the 2022 Ypres Rally, a round of the World Rally Championship. As part of the programme, Toyota has also experimented with recycling ‘boil-off gas’ into the engine, avoiding wastage as liquid hydrogen evaporates due to its extreme low temperature.
Last year, Toyota rolled out its GR LH2 Racing Concept at Le Mans and also at Goodwood on static display. Based on the GR010 Hybrid WEC car, and now elevated to ‘Racing Prototype’ with the name TR LH2, the car completed a demonstration lap at La Sarthe on 11 June, prior to the Le Mans 24 Hours, which Toyota’s TR010 Hybrid WEC car won.
