Toyota runs its liquid-hydrogen racer in public for the first time at Le Mans

The sound and sensation of a hydrogen engine at the world's most famous circuit: at the 94th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours, Toyota will run its TR LH2 Racing Prototype in public for the first time — a racing car powered by liquid hydrogen.

Two demonstration runs

On Thursday 11 June (12.50pm) and Saturday 13 June (12.45pm, just before the start), the TR LH2 will complete demonstration laps of the 13.626-kilometre Circuit de la Sarthe. The car is based on the same chassis as the TR010 Hybrid Hypercar with which Toyota is chasing a sixth outright win in the classic this year. At the wheel is Kazuki Nakajima, three-time Le Mans winner.

"After the test kilometres of the past few months, we are ready to hit the track with the TR LH2 in Le Mans. There is no better place to do a first race lap with a prototype car," Nakajima said.

Liquid and gaseous: complementary routes

Toyota is not running alone. The TR LH2 shares the track with the Alpine Alpenglow and the Ligier JS2 RH2 (developed by Ligier Automotive and Bosch). Tellingly, Toyota runs on liquid hydrogen while the Alpenglow runs on gaseous hydrogen — two complementary technical approaches, side by side on the same track.

Liquid hydrogen is notable because, at extremely low temperature, it can be stored far more compactly than pressurised gaseous hydrogen. That can help carry enough fuel for long-distance racing.

A long run-up

Toyota is no newcomer to hydrogen racing. The brand has competed with hydrogen in Japan's Super Taikyu series since 2021, first on gaseous and from 2023 on liquid hydrogen. It also showcased hydrogen in the World Rally Championship with demonstrations of the GR Yaris H2. In 2023 the GR Corolla H2 already completed a demonstration lap at Le Mans, and last year Toyota unveiled the liquid-hydrogen GR LH2 concept there. The public demonstration of the TR LH2 is the next step.

The wider context: since 2018 the organising Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) has worked with MissionH24 to bring hydrogen into racing. The official target date for hydrogen cars to race at Le Mans is 2028 — though ACO president Pierre Fillon has indicated the first cars may not line up until after that.

Why it matters

Racing has long been a proving ground for technology that later reaches the ordinary road. By testing hydrogen under the toughest conditions — 24 hours, at top speed — Toyota accelerates the development of both the technology and its supporting infrastructure. Next to the circuit, the Hydrogen Village features a 700-bar refuelling station from TotalEnergies, where the public can watch the prototypes being refuelled.

For hydrogen mobility, this is a powerful signal: the technology is leaving the laboratory and proving itself on the track. Alongside battery-electric driving, racing shows that hydrogen can be a fully fledged, zero-emission route — precisely where range and fast refuelling make the difference.

Sources

• Toyota Racing Newsroom — Le Mans demonstration for liquid hydrogen-fuelled TR LH2 Racing Prototype (June 2026)
• FIA WEC — Liquid hydrogen-fuelled Toyota prototype to take to the track at Le Mans
• Sportscar365 / RACER — Toyota to demonstrate liquid hydrogen car at Le Mans
• 24h-lemans.com — A first on the track with the Toyota TR LH2 Racing Prototype