Hydrogen Powered Toyota Yaris RACE CAR/  Vehicle Conversion 

by Toyota Race Team 

ABSTRACT

OYAMA, Shizuoka Prefecture--Toyota Motor Co.’s car powered solely by a hydrogen engine became the world’s first to complete a 24-hour endurance race, the automaker said.

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The Corolla H2 Concept vehicle, remodeled from a Corolla Sport, entered the Super Taikyu Series endurance race on May 21-23 at the Fuji Speedway track here.Using the racing circuit as a testing ground, the auto giant plans to heighten technological developments for decarbonization.

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Hydrogen engines have a similar mechanism to those of gasoline engines, but burning hydrogen creates almost no carbon dioxide.

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Toyota’s vehicle was installed with four fuel tanks that can contain 7.3 kilograms of hydrogen in the backseat.

The automaker converted an engine for the commercially available GR Yaris sports car and equipped it with a hydrogen injection system.

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“We will increase options for decarbonization technologies,” said Toyota President Akio Toyoda, who also served as a driver in the endurance race. “And we have just taken the first step.”

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“In Japan, fossil fuels are used to make electricity,” he continued. “The hydrogen we used, however, is produced from a solar plant.”

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INTRODUCTION

 

"You don't need to do anything special to make a hydrogen engine; you can make a hydrogen engine by applying existing technology," Sato said. "Since it is loaded with safety and measuring equipment, it weighs about 200kg,

so we will aim to reduce the weight and improve fuel efficiency. The only modifications to make it run on hydrogen were the fuel delivery system, fuel injectors and ignition system.

 

BACKGROUND

The Fuji 24 Hours was 2021’s third round in Japan’s long-running Super Taikyu endurance series. Despite a slate of big name drivers like former F1 and Le Mans driver Kamui Kobayashi, SuperGT wheelmen Hiroaki Ishiura, Takuto Iguchi and Takamitsu Matsui, and even Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda himself, the Corolla ran for only 12 hours, completing 358 laps or 1,634 km (1,015 miles).Super Taikyu veteran Masahiro Sasaki put down a fastest lap time of 2 minutes, four seconds. According to chief engineer Sakamoto, that’s pretty good, considering a Toyota 86 averages around 2 minutes flat. Drivers reported that the Corolla drove more or less like a normal race car, but that the faster-burning hydrogen fuel made the throttle a bit more responsive.

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Toyota has said it wants to use motorsport to promote hydrogen as a viable alternative to electric cars following a successful debut for its hydrogen-powered Corolla Sport in last weekend's Fuji 24 Hours.

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VEHICLE CONVERSION

In fact, the team could have run a GR Yaris instead, but utilizing the Corolla’s extra cargo capacity allowed them to stuff four tanks of compressed hydrogen in the rear. These tanks were plucked from the Mirai (two were modified for this application and two were stock), and they were secured in a special brace made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and designed to withstand high-energy crashes should the worst happen.

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Some of the hydrogen components, like the piping and fuel management system, had already been developed and were transplanted directly from the Mirai as well. There was no need to reinvent the wheel. However, the fuel injection system is new.

“Controlling combustion was our biggest challenge,” the Corolla’s chief engineer, Naoyuki Sakamoto, told us via a video call from Japan. “Hydrogen combusts very fast and that sometimes causes pre-ignition.”

The fuel injection system was developed in conjunction with Denso. “They have been a huge support for us,” Sakamoto said.

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