In a sprawling circuit near Mount Fuji, a humble Corolla running on liquid hydrogen has made its racing debut, part of a move to bring the futuristic technology into the racing world and to demonstrate Toyota’s resolve to develop green vehicles.In this photo released by Toyota Motor Corp., Toyota’s Corolla racing car powered by liquid hydrogen runs on the racing course during a 24-hour race at Fuji International Speedway in Oyama town, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) south-west of Tokyo, Sunday, May 28, 2023.
The hydrogen-fueled Corolla has made its racing debut, part of a move to bring the futuristic technology into the racing world and to demonstrate Toyota’s resolve to develop green vehicles.
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda, resplendent in a fire-resistant racing uniform, was all smiles as he prepared to buzz around the circuit in the hydrogen-fueled Corolla.
“This is a world first for a liquid hydrogen car to race. We hope it will offer another option in the fight against global warming. To bring everyone smiles, I want to go one lap, even one second, more,” said Toyoda, a former CEO of Toyota, grandson of the auto maker’s founder and a licensed race driver himself.
Unlike electric vehicles, it has a combustion engine, but it burns liquid hydrogen instead of gasoline.
Japanese auto maker Toyota Motor Corp., which sells about 10 million vehicles a year, has fallen behind in the global shift to battery-powered EVs, but it’s been banking on hydrogen as a potentially carbon-neutral solution for years.
Experts say hydrogen holds great potential. But so far, much of hydrogen, including what’s used to fuel the Corolla racing car, is made using fossil fuels such as natural gas.
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Article URL : https://apnews.com/article/toyota-corolla-liquid-hydrogen-engine-racing-dbf33375d360a2be567504ebdf66db32