Toyota Planning For Hydrogen and Hybrid Hypercars

Toyota has revealed plans to race both the current GR010 HYBRID Hypercar and a new hydrogen-powered prototype when the delayed hydrogen regulations for the FIA World Endurance Championship and Le Mans 24 Hours finally kick in come 2028.

This announcement adds another layer of intrigue to the endurance racing scene as Toyota aims to balance the winning legacy of its current hybrid with the cutting-edge promise of hydrogen technology.

John Litjens, the project leader at Toyota Motorsports, laid out the roadmap for this transition to RACER. The goal for manufacturers tinkering with hydrogen-powered cars is to get a partial season under their belts in 2028. Toyota's current GR010 has been homologated to compete through 2029, and the company plans to run both the hybrid and hydrogen models side-by-side, as long as the FIA allows it.

Despite delays pushing the target from 2026 to 2028, Litjens believes developing high-performance hydrogen tech is still realistic if the regulations come through in time. The GR010, which has been a staple since the Hypercar category's first season in 2021, won't be easily replaced. Running two completely different cars in parallel would be a logistical nightmare, though performance upgrades, known as "jokers," are still on the table for discussion.

As Toyota gears up for this dual-path strategy, the endurance racing world watches closely, waiting to see how the old guard of hybrids will stack up against the incoming tide of hydrogen power. It's a blend of past, present, and future, with Toyota trying to hold onto its hybrid heritage while steering into the hydrogen horizon.

This article was co-written using AI and was then heavily edited and optimized by our editorial team.

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