Toyota is amongst the pioneers of hydrogen vitality in motorsport having invested heavily into creating the fuel as a future environmentally sustainable vitality source.
Final twelve months, the Jap marque entered a hydrogen-powered GR Corolla into the Fuji 24 Hours, which change into pushed by then-Toyota CEO and president Akio Toyoda and Latvala.
Toyota additionally worn the hydrogen powertrain it has developed in an upgraded GR Yaris, which took on a vary of World Rally Championship phases at Ypres Rally Belgium and Rally Japan.
The GR Yaris H2 is per a avenue-going version of the automobile, fitted with upgraded suspension, and powered by a hydrogen-fuelled inside combustion engine. Due to this, the automobile’s simplest emissions are water, while the automobile appears to be like to be like and sounds nearly such as its petrol-powered derivative.
Whereas trend into hydrogen vitality has made mercurial development, Latvala believes there are peaceable hurdles to conquer earlier than it might perhaps well perhaps in point of fact emerge as a proper different propulsion come for the future.
“For me, hydrogen is one thing indubitably indubitably attention-grabbing. It would be broad to have in motorsport,” Latvala advised Motorsport.com.
“I accept as true with having it the next day within reason too early. There are some issues peaceable where we prefer to work.
“One among the issues with hydrogen is you would also very nicely be simplest ready to head a favorable distance. But already we are in a position to use the inside combustion engines, which we have now already purchased, so we wouldn’t must alternate the engine.
“It’s a ways true the have as a plot to get a protracted distance the use of the fuel. There are two measures. It’s seemingly you’ll maybe presumably presumably have pressurised fuel or a liquid version.
Toyota Yaris H2
Photo by: Toyota Racing
“The liquid version would be indubitably one thing, but it wants pretty more time. We need time. I accept as true with we would want a pair more years of trend.
“That [range] is the largest ingredient. There might perhaps be indubitably the safety tanks. Or not it is a must to have immense tanks but additionally on the same time we have now already purchased the hybrid boxes additionally in the [WRC] autos currently, so I don’t accept as true with that will maybe also merely be a scenario. I accept as true with we are in a position to form out having the safety tanks in the automobile.
“After we clear up the distance this is in a position to maybe presumably also be true about having stations throughout the country to attain the refuelling.”
Latvala is eying a return to Japan later this twelve months to design shut section in a single other 24 hour bustle, riding the hydrogen-powered GR Corolla.
“I am hoping to head to Japan this twelve months for a 24 hour bustle to have going the GR Corolla which we drove closing twelve months,” he added.
“They are creating this automobile all of the time for this season. The total time the job is going down so I accept as true with they must attain one other step with it this twelve months, so it is attention-grabbing to examine due to the for me the broad ingredient with hydrogen is it has the same feeling because the regular inside combustion engine and likewise you get the sound.
“It’s seemingly you’ll maybe presumably presumably look that one thing is coming from the utilize but it is abolish of invisible and it is trim.”
