ACO, the organizing body behind 24 Hours of Le Mansannounced in March that hydrogen-powered cars would qualify for the race in 2026. That would include hydrogen internal combustion engine as concept H2-powered Lexus V8 Toyota and Yamaha show off in 2022And fuel cells vehicle. Plan for the doors to open in three years, Toyota used this year’s Le Mans weekend to show Gazoo Racing GR H2 Racing concept. “The sound, the torque, the dynamics, it’s all there,” said Toyota President Akio Toyoda.
The automaker hasn’t provided any information on the mechanics underneath the black beauty, but only the dimensions. The GR H2 Racing Concept is 200.8 inches long and 80.7 inches wide. That’s seven inches longer and two inches wider than the GR010 Hybrid competing in this year’s WEC. It is also outside the maximum allowable dimensions for the current Le Mans Hypercar class at 3.9 inches long and 2 inches wide.
Toyota used to run a hydrogen engine Corolla IN Japanese Super Taikyu series for two years. To hear it around the track, you’d never know that there’s no gasoline involved. Whenever we get a clip of the GR H2 Racing Concept on track, it can feel like the good old days.
Gazoo Racing isn’t the only competitor in Le Mans’ H2 Village making their debut. French car company Ligier has partnered with Bosch to develop the JS2 RH2, a hydrogen engine related to Ligier’s JS2 R race car. We say “relatively” because the vehicle structure has changed for the RH2. The JS2 R is built on a tubular spaceframe and is powered by a 3.7-liter engine. Ford 350 hp V6 petrol engine. The JS2 RH2 is built on a carbon monocoque and is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 sourced from a Bosch component and powered by hydrogen, producing 563 hp. It weighs 3,197 pounds, 871 pounds more than the standard JS2 R. Using three hydrogen tanks weighing 2.1 kg, Ligier and Bosch say it can run for 35 to 40 minutes around Le Mans before needing to be recharged. Race cars running this weekend will usually run for about 45 to 50 minutes.
Ligier and Bosch only call the JS2 RH2 a technology demonstration, with no plans to race in the near future. Bosch CEO Dr. Johannes-Joerg Rueger pointed to the future, saying: “One day there will be a single solution for hydrogen. We want to put ourselves at the forefront of this technology.”
