18:59 14-11-2025

Toyota advances liquid-hydrogen GR Corolla H2 with in-tank superconducting pump

At Super Taikyu's finale, Toyota fields its liquid-hydrogen GR Corolla H2 and debuts a cryogenic in-tank superconducting pump that boosts efficiency and range.

Toyota is pressing ahead with hydrogen technology and lining up two significant updates for the Super Taikyu finale on November 15–16. The experimental GR Corolla H2, running on liquid hydrogen, will be on the grid. This prototype has already proved its reliability at the Fuji 24 Hours, where it completed the full distance for the first time without replacing the fuel-supply pump.

The next target is clear: stable running at peak output. As power has climbed, so has the load on the pump, and Toyota is continuing tests to extend its service life. It’s a practical hurdle, and cracking it matters as much as outright speed.

In parallel, the company is unveiling a technology that could reshape how hydrogen cars are packaged: a superconducting motor for the pump, mounted directly inside the cryogenic tank. At −253°C—the standard temperature of liquid hydrogen—materials enter a superconducting state and shed electrical resistance. That allows the assembly to shrink, raises efficiency, and increases tank capacity by more than a third, improving driving range. There’s the added benefit of lower mass and a reduced center of gravity, along with less boil-off.

During the race, Toyota will also showcase three U.S.-built models—Camry, Highlander, and Tundra—as part of a Japan–U.S. cultural exchange. Visitors will get a chance to see popular American models that aren’t sold in Japan.

Toyota is methodically developing its hydrogen program and making the case that the internal-combustion engine can find a second life on H2. Superconductivity inside a cryotank reads as a bold, convincing idea—one that could stoke interest in hydrogen technologies in both motorsport and road cars.