ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2022 Powered by Hankook Round 2 NAPAC Fuji SUPER TEC 24 Hours Race.
- One year has passed since the debut of the hydrogen-powered Corolla at the Fuji 24 Hours Race. Since then, the number of like-minded partners who have joined the initiative of producing, transporting, and using hydrogen and carbon-neutral fuels has increased.
- KOBELCO Group and Japan Hydro will be newly joining the group, further accelerating the expansion toward carbon neutrality.
- Five Asian partner companies will join as sponsors of ORC ROOKIE Racing, aiming to boost motorsports in Asia.
- We have begun to work towards the commercialization of hydrogen-engine vehicles and also to tackle the challenge of installing liquid hydrogen in them, utilizing the knowledge gained from the past year competing in the Super Taikyu Series.
Toyota City, Japan ―Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced the progress of its efforts in the Super Taikyu Series at the “ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2022 Powered by Hankook Round 2 NAPAC Fuji SUPER TEC 24 Hours Race” (Fuji 24 Hours Race) to be held from June 3 to 5.
I. More like-minded partners joining our initiative in the Super Taikyu Series
Review of Super Taikyu Series initiatives
A year has passed since the hydrogen-powered Corolla raced for the first time last year at the “Super Taikyu Series 2021 Powered by Hankook Round 3 NAPAC Fuji SUPER TEC 24 Hours Race.” We would like to express our gratitude for the cooperation of many supporters and customers, including the Super Taikyu Organization.
Many supporters have come together with the same goal and passion to achieve carbon neutrality. Over the course of six rounds, including the Fuji 24 Hours Race this time, companies and municipalities that produce, transport, and use hydrogen and carbon-neutral fuel in the Super Taikyu Series have increased from the initial eight (as of May 22, 2021) to 24 (as of June 3, 2022)*1. The challenges of producing, transporting, and using hydrogen and carbon-neutral fuels through racing have evolved over the past year, with more energy options, increased hydrogen transport, improved engine performance and cruising range, and reduced hydrogen filling times.
Producing
Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture (FH2R), Obayashi Corporation, Toyota Motor Kyushu Corporation, HySTRA – joint venture comprising Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Iwatani Corporation and Power Development Corporation -, Fukuoka City, and Yamanashi Prefecture each produced hydrogen, which was used in the hydrogen-powered Corolla racing car as fuel.
Hydrogen production energy supplied to the hydrogen-engine Corolla
Transporting
Toyota Transport Corporation’s biofuel trucks and Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation’s (CJPT) FC light-duty trucks transported hydrogen to the circuit. In addition, lignite-derived hydrogen produced in Australia by Kawasaki Heavy Industries was transported by air on a trial basis and used as fuel for the hydrogen-powered Corolla with the support from Iwatani Corporation and J-Power Development Corporation.
Improvements in transportation by FC light-duty trucks and the volume of hydrogen transport
Using
In addition to hydrogen, Toyota’s ORC ROOKIE GR86 CNF Concept, which uses carbon neutral fuel, Subaru’s Team SDA Engineering BRZ CNF Concept, and Mazda’s MAZDA SPIRIT RACING Bio concept DEMIO, which runs on next-generation biodiesel fuel, will also be racing. The number of fuel options and like-minded partners who “use” bio-diesel fuel is also expanding.
Evolution of the hydrogen-powered Corolla over the past year
Initiatives outside of racing that stemmed from the Super Taikyu Series
Companies and municipalities that produce, transport, and use hydrogen and carbon-neutral fuels, which were connected through the Super Taikyu Series, are further accelerating their efforts to realize a carbon neutral society even outside the race. Many actions of our supporters are stemming from the Super Taikyu Series and expanding further.
Major initiatives outside of racing, stemming from the Super Taikyu series
II. New supporters at the Fuji 24 Hours Race
(1) Kobe Steel, Ltd. (KOBELCO Group) and (2) Japan Hydro Corporation (Japan Hydro) are two newcomers to the Fuji 24 Hours Race.
KOBELCO Group
The KOBELCO Group has developed and commercialized “Kobenable Steel”, a low-CO2 blast furnace steel product that significantly reduces CO2 emissions in the blast furnace process. Kobenable Steel” uses reduced iron (steel raw materials made from reduced iron ore) produced by the reduced ironmaking process using natural gas. By charging a large amount of this material into the blast furnace, the technology can significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the blast furnace. There are two types of products, “Kobenable Premier” and “Kobenable Half.” “Kobenable Premier”, with a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions per metric ton, is used in the suspension member of the hydrogen-powered Corolla.
KOBELCO Group News Release published on May 17, 2022
Japan Hydro
A “hydrogen-fired generator” imported from Europe by Japan Hydro will be used at the Toyota Motor Corporation booth in the event space at Fuji Speedway to supply electricity. This generator is capable of supplying power for approximately 30 MIRAI vehicles and can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 1 metric ton per day compared to a typical diesel generator.
Japan Hydro News Release published on May 27, 2022
In addition, a prototype of a portable hydrogen cartridge developed by Toyota and Woven Planet Holdings, Inc. that can easily carry hydrogen and use hydrogen energy for a wide range of applications in daily life will be exhibited in the event space of the Fuji 24 Hours Race. The portable size of the cartridge makes it possible to carry hydrogen in the sphere of daily life.
Toyota, Woven Planet News Release published on June 2, 2022
III. Entry Team Setup in the Fuji 24 Hours Race
Jari-Matti Latvala, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT team principal, will be the spot driver for ORC ROOKIE Racing in the Fuji 24 Hours Race. The participation of a driver who has competed around the world and has extensive knowledge of various vehicles will lead to the further evolution of hydrogen engines, and will also communicate our carbon neutrality efforts through motorsports globally.
Toyota News Release published on May 20, 2022
IV. Expansion of motorsports in Asia
Toyota, Fuji Speedway Co., Ltd. and Toyota Real Estate Corporation are promoting the “Fuji Motorsports Forest” project in Oyama-town, Shizuoka Prefecture. We aim to create a place many people want to visit and will use it as a starting point to develop motorsports culture not only in Japan but also in Asia.
Announced on April 6, 2022Toyota News Release
In addition, the Super Taikyu Series has led to a global expansion of motorsports fan communities, and five partner companies*3 that operate businesses related to Toyota, Lexus, and Hino Motors, Ltd. and have a desire to develop motorsports in Asia will join ROOKIE Racing as sponsors from the 2022 season. By having these Asian partner companies join, we aim to have our motorsports-driven making “ever-better cars” initiatives widely known not only in Japan but also in Asia.
Five partner companies from Asia*3
Vehicle Evolution
1.Hydrogen engine technology
Efforts toward commercialization of hydrogen engine vehicles
We have started research and development for the commercialization of hydrogen engine vehicles, utilizing the technology developed through racing. A hydrogen engine vehicle based on the Corolla Cross, a test vehicle, will be exhibited at the event space of the Fuji 24 Hours Race. The engine is a three-cylinder turbocharged engine, the same as the hydrogen-powered Corolla running in the race, and is equipped with two compressed gas hydrogen tanks under the floor utilizing MIRAI technology. While improving the hydrogen engine technology in the harsh motorsports environment, we will also develop the technology on the car body as well.
Challenge to install liquid hydrogen
Aiming to improve the cruising range of the hydrogen-powered Corolla, we are continuing to take on the challenge of installing liquid hydrogen. The energy density of liquid hydrogen is higher than that of gaseous hydrogen, and if a hydrogen engine can be combined with liquid hydrogen, the cruising range will be closer to a gasoline-powered car, and hydrogen stations can be operated at about one-fourth the current size. The concepts of the “Mobile Liquid Hydrogen Station” and “Hydrogen Engine Corolla with Liquid Hydrogen” will be exhibited at the hydrogen filling area of the Fuji 24 Hours Race.
2.GR86 (Carbon Neutral Fuel)
The ORC ROOKIE GR86 CNF Concept will compete with the SUBARU Team SDA Engineering BRZ CNF Concept, which also competes in the ST-Q class, and trains on the motorsports field to discover and improve issues with carbon neutral fuel and explore the possibility of its practical application in the future. The team is also working on a new fuel that will be used in the Fuji 24 Hours Race.
For the race, we are working on improvements to solve the problem of fuel diluting into oil. By controlling the injection method, we have achieved a significant improvement in the continuous running time.
The challenges are at the initial stage and the problems are yet to be clarified, but we will continue to work together with SUBARU and Mazda, which are competing with next-generation biodiesel fuel, in competition and cooperation to expand the options for “usage” of fuel.
Toyota will continue to train and accelerate the development of vehicles in the severe environment of motorsports with many like-minded supporters. We will also promote a wide range of cooperation beyond industry boundaries to realize a better carbon neutral society and further expand the options for producing, transporting, and using hydrogen and carbon neutral fuels.
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