At the end of April 2021, Toyota announced it would be testing the performance of a new hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine by installing it in a racecar that would compete in one of Japan’s toughest motorsports events: The NAPAC Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours.
The engine was developed as part of Toyota’s progress towards realising a carbon-neutral mobility society and powers a Corolla Sport built to technical regulations for the Super Taikuyu endurance racing series. Entered by ORC ROOKIE Racing, the car made its race debut on the 21-23 May 2021 race weekend. 
Hydrogen-powered Toyota Corolla during The NAPAC Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours. Photo: Masahide Kamio
 
Development 
Unlike Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), which produce electricity to power the engine through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the air, Toyota’s hydrogen engine generates power through combustion, using fuel supply and injection systems modified from those used in a petrol engine.  Toyota’s G16E-GTS, 1,618cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine fuelled by hydrogen. Photo: Toyota
 
Toyota believes that attaining carbon neutrality will require utilising and improving current technologies – hence this strategy. To that end, it sought to make the conversion from a petrol-fuelled internal combustion engine with minimal component changes and control technologies. Initially, the company tried a bi-fuel approach, using 50% gasoline and 50% hydr...