Toyota Motor Corporation announced that it will enter the ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2023 Supported by Bridgestone Round 7 Super Taikyu Final Fuji 4 Hours Race with Fuji Niq Festival, to be held from November 11 to 12, with the #32 ORC ROOKIE GR Corolla H₂ Concept, which runs on liquid H₂, and the #28 ORC ROOKIE GR86 CNF Concept running on carbon-neutral fuel.

The evolution and challenges taken on by the H₂-powered Corolla

The liquid H₂-powered Corolla, which first competed in the 24 Hours Race in May, has evolved even further in the three months since the Round 4 Super Taikyu Race at Autopolis in July. We will continue to make improvements and strive for further evolution in the 2024 season by agilely refining vehicles and people through making ever-better motorsports-bred cars.

Engine performance. Liquid H₂ pumps must generate high fuel pressure with stability to achieve high output. We have improved the pressure boosting performance and durability of the pumps, which have been challenges, to achieve the same level of output as gasoline and gaseous H₂ engines.

Cruising range. The maximum number of laps that could be driven on a single H₂ fill-up at the Fuji 24 Hours Race in May was 16. Now, we have made improvements such as better accuracy in determining H₂ tank fullness, reducing the amount of boil-off gas by reducing the heat entering the tank, and optimizing fuel injection when the gas pedal is not fully depressed. As a result, we're aiming to achieve 20 laps per fill-up in this race.

Vehicle weight. The H₂-powered Corolla is equipped with many features that prioritize safety and security first and foremost. We identified parts that could be made lighter using the knowledge we have gained from our driving experience while keeping this emphasis on safety and security and reduced their weight by adjusting factors such as thickness and number of parts. As a result, we were able to reduce the weight of the tank, safety and boil-off gas valves, roll cage, high-pressure H₂ system parts, and other components to achieve a vehicle weight of 1,860 kg, 50 kg lighter than the 1,910 kg it weighed at the Autopolis race.

The challenge of CO₂ capture technology. It is necessary to both reduce CO₂ emissions from vehicles and plants and capture CO₂ in the atmosphere in order to achieve carbon neutrality. We will now take on the challenge of capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere through a trial initiative to install a CO₂ capture device on the H₂-powered Corolla's engine compartment that utilizes its large-volume air intake feature and the heat generated by combustion.

More specifically, a CO₂ absorption device will be installed at the inlet to the air cleaner, and a CO₂ separation device that uses heat from engine oil will be installed next to the air cleaner. The separated CO₂ will be captured in a small tank filled with an absorbent. The equipment used to absorb, separate, and capture CO₂ from the atmosphere will use filters coated with an absorbent developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. that can release CO₂ at lower temperatures than conventional absorbents, thereby increasing CO₂ capture efficiency.

Starting on-road feasibility testing of the H₂-powered HiAce in Australia

The purposeful passion and action to achieve a carbon-neutral society has now also spread overseas, and H₂ engine technology has started taking on a new challenge. We have installed the H₂ engine in a commercial HiAce to conduct on-road feasibility testing operated by operating companies on public roads in Australia. In doing so, we will hone the H₂ engine technology we have continued to refine through participation in the Super Taikyu series even further toward practical application.

Until now, we have worked to refine H₂ engine technology through the Super Taikyu series, including the durability to run in challenging environments, H₂ combustion technology, control of abnormal combustion, and assurance of H₂ safety.

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

Toyota will continue to accelerate development by refining cars and people in the challenging world of motorsports. It will also continue to work with its partners to increase options in order to create an even better carbon-neutral society.