Toyota Gazoo Racing is taking on the Dakar Rally, an extremely grueling race, while showcasing a new vehicle.
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According to a press release, Toyota Gazoo Racing will enter the DKR GR FC Hilux, a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), in the 2027 Dakar Rally. This vehicle will replace the petrol engine with a system relying on hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Toyota states that the vehicle will not emit CO2 while driving. Instead, water will be the only tailpipe emission.
This race takes place in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 1-15, 2027. King Abdullah Economic City will serve as the start and finish point for the event, which will push vehicles to their limits. Entrants will have to navigate through sand dunes, rocky unpaved roads, and dry riverbeds as they try to keep their vehicles running.
The DKR GR FC Hilux will compete in the Dakar Future Mission 1000 category. Much like the Garage 56 category in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Future Mission 1000 category is reserved for experimental vehicles and new technologies.
The crews and navigators participating in this category will race against the clock over 13 stages. They will aim to complete 1,000 competitive kilometers while taking on challenging terrain and high temperatures.
Toyota has already begun testing for the 2027 Dakar Rally. It has started fine-tuning the FCEV powertrain and software in Belgium. This testing will continue progressing over the next year as the manufacturer prepares for this challenge.
This is not the first time that Toyota has showcased the hydrogen technology in motorsports. In fact, the manufacturer previously entered two hydrogen-engine buggies in the Dakar Rally. The HySE-X1 competed in 2024 while the HySE-X2 competed in 2025.
#Dakar2025: HySE, a partnership between Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Toyota, and Yamaha, will return to the Dakar Rally in 2025. Will once again compete in Mission 1000.
Yoshio Ikemachi and Paulo Marques will drive the new HySE-X2 hydrogen car. pic.twitter.com/q4dfg8Qavv
— Justin Nguyen 🏈🏁 (@ZappaOMatic) November 12, 2024
The list of demonstrations continued with the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans. The TR LH2 Racing Prototype featuring a liquid hydrogen engine completed demonstration laps.
The focus on hydrogen in motorsports actually began in 2021. Rookie Racing competed in the Japanese Super Taikyu series with the ORC ROOKIE Corolla H2 Concept, a race car featuring a hydrogen engine.
The GR Yaris H2 then completed demonstration runs in the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship. The GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept put on demonstrations at Rally events in both 2025 and 2026.
