Toyota announces progress of Super Taikyu Series initiatives

MANILA: Toyota Motor Corporation presented the progress of its Super Taikyu Series initiatives at the ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2022 powered by Hankook Round 2 NAPAC Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours Race (Fuji 24 Hours Race), which was conducted last June 3 to 5.

“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,” Toyota Motor Corporation said.

Many supporters have collaborated to achieve carbon neutrality. Companies and municipalities that generate, distribute, and use hydrogen and carbon-neutral fuel in the Super Taikyu Series have expanded from eight to 24 over the course of six rounds, including this year's Fuji 24 Hours Race. Over the past year, the difficulties of generating, distributing, and using hydrogen and carbon-neutral fuels in racing have changed, with more energy sources, improved hydrogen transport, better engine performance and cruising range, and shorter hydrogen filling times.

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 utilized as fuel in the hydrogen-powered Corolla racing car.

Biofuel trucks from Toyota Transport Corporation and FC light-duty trucks from Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) delivered hydrogen to the circuit. Furthermore, with the help of Iwatani Corporation and J-Power Development Corporation, lignite-derived hydrogen produced in Australia by Kawasaki Heavy Industries was carried by air on a trial basis and used as fuel for the hydrogen-powered Corolla.

Aside from hydrogen, Toyota's ORC Rookie GR86 CNF Concept, Subaru's Team SDA Engineering BRZ CNF Concept, and Mazda's Mazda Spirit Racing Bio concept Demio, which relies on next-generation biodiesel fuel, will also compete. The number of bio-diesel fuel options and like-minded partners is also growing.

“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,” Toyota Motor Corporation added.

The Kobelco Group, a newcomer to the Fuji 24 Hours Race, has created and marketed "Kobenable Steel," a low-CO2 blast furnace steel that cuts CO2 emissions substantially throughout 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 huge portion of this material into the blast furnace, the technology can greatly reduce CO2 emissions from the blast furnace. There are two types of products: "Kobenable Premier" and "Kobenable Half." The suspension member of the hydrogen-powered Corolla is made of Kobenable Premier, which reduces CO2 emissions by 100% per metric ton.

The Toyota Motor Corporation booth in the event space at Fuji Speedway was powered by a "hydrogen-fired generator" imported from Europe by Japan Hydro. When compared to a standard diesel generator, this generator can power up to 30 Mirai vehicles while reducing CO2 emissions by up to one metric ton per day.

A prototype of a portable hydrogen cartridge made by Toyota and Woven Planet Holdings, Inc., which can easily take hydrogen and utilize hydrogen energy for a variety of applications in daily life was also displayed in the Fuji 24 Hours Race event space. Because of the cartridge's compact size, hydrogen can be carried around in daily activities.

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Team Principal Jari-Matti Latvala was ORC Rookie Racing's spot driver in the Fuji 24 Hours Race. The participation of a driver who has raced all over the world and has an extensive knowledge of vehicles helped enhance the evolution of hydrogen engines and publicize Toyota's carbon neutrality initiatives through racing.

The "Fuji Motorsports Forest" project in Oyama-town, Shizuoka Prefecture is also being promoted by Toyota, Fuji Speedway Co., Ltd., and Toyota Real Estate Corporation. “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,” Toyota Motor Corporation said.

Furthermore, the Super Taikyu Series has resulted in the continued growth of racing fan communities, and five partner companies with businesses related to Toyota, Lexus, and Hino Motors, Ltd. and have a desire to expand motorsports in Asia joined Rookie Racing as sponsors beginning in the 2022 season. Toyota hopes that by bringing these Asian partner companies on board, its motorsports-driven "ever-better cars" programs will become well-known not only in Japan but throughout Asia.

Toyota has begun research and development for the production of hydrogen-powered vehicles, based on technologies used in racing. A hydrogen engine vehicle based on the Corolla Cross, a test vehicle, was also on display at the Fuji 24 Hours Race event space. The engine is a three-cylinder turbocharged engine that uses MIRAI technology and is equipped with two compressed gas hydrogen tanks under the floor, just like the hydrogen-powered Corolla in the competition. Toyota will develop hydrogen engine technology on the car body while enhancing hydrogen engine technology in the rigorous motorsports environment.

Toyota is continuing to take on the challenge of adding liquid hydrogen to extend the cruising range of the hydrogen-powered Corolla. Liquid hydrogen has a higher energy density than gaseous hydrogen, thus if a hydrogen engine is paired with liquid hydrogen, the cruise range will be closer to that of a gasoline-powered car, and hydrogen stations will be about one-fourth the size they are now. The "Mobile Liquid Hydrogen Station" and "Hydrogen Engine Corolla with Liquid Hydrogen" concepts were on display at the Fuji 24 Hours Race's hydrogen filling area.

The ORC Rookie GR86 CNF Concept participated in the ST-Q class with the Subaru Team SDA Engineering BRZ CNF Concept, which trained on the racetrack to find and fix issues with carbon neutral fuel as well as study the prospect of its practical implementation in the future.

“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,” Toyota Motor Corporation said. “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.”

With many like-minded supporters, Toyota will continue to train and advance car development in the harsh environment of racing. It is also striving to foster cross-industry collaboration in order to achieve a more carbon-neutral society and expand the solutions for generating, distributing, and using hydrogen and carbon-neutral fuels.

Photos from Toyota Motor Corporation

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