Toyota is ready to run the first public demonstration drives of its liquid hydrogen-fueled TR LH2 Racing Prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The car will take to the famous 13.626km Circuit de la Sarthe for special laps on Thursday, June 11, and Saturday, June 13.
The new prototype shares the same chassis as Toyota’s TR010 HYBRID Hypercar, which is competing in the main race. However, this project is all about testing new technology. By running the car, Toyota wants to give racing fans a real taste of what a hydrogen combustion engine sounds and feels like on a track.
Moving From Gas to Liquid Hydrogen
The company has been testing hydrogen engines in motorsports for a few years now. They started back in 2021 by racing a Corolla that used gaseous hydrogen in a Japanese racing series. By 2023, they upgraded that car to run on liquid hydrogen.
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They also took the technology off the racetrack and into the dirt. Toyota showed off hydrogen rally cars at World Rally Championship events in Belgium, Finland, and Monte-Carlo over the last few seasons.
Last year at Le Mans, Toyota showed a concept version of this car. Now, one year later, they have turned that concept into a working prototype ready for the track.
Where to See It
If you are attending the race, you can see the car before it hits the track. Toyota is putting the TR LH2 Racing Prototype on display in the circuit’s Hydrogen Village starting Wednesday, June 10. The exhibition space focuses on hydrogen technology and Toyota’s goals for reducing carbon emissions.
The company is using motorsport to test the limits of liquid hydrogen and help build the infrastructure needed to make the technology practical for the future.
