Two and a half years after the idea was announced, a car combining superconductive technology with a hydrogen engine has finally become a reality.
The finale of the 2025 Super Taikyu Series was held on November 15 at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture. The liquid hydrogen-fueled GR Corolla (the liquid hydrogen Corolla) revved its engine and sped past the press.
Though it looks similar on the outside, it’s completely different from the cars that have competed in past races. This vehicle incorporates superconductivity, which achieves zero electrical resistance at the ultra-low temperature of -253℃ within the liquid hydrogen.
With electrical resistance reduced, the same output can be achieved with less current, allowing components to be made smaller. By installing the pump motor inside the fuel tank, the team was able to increase the tank’s capacity dramatically, from an initial 150 liters to 300 liters.
According to Kyoto University Graduate School Professor Taketsune Nakamura, “Superconducting motors are being researched and developed worldwide, but there is still not a single practical application.”
Professor Nakamura says that using such a motor in a constantly vibrating car and racing it under intense loads is “totally insane.”
The development team, having already overcome many impossible challenges, now faced numerous unexpected obstacles. They continued trial and error right up to the last moment. Even on the day of their first circuit run, just a week before the unveiling, liquid hydrogen system developer Ryosuke Yamamoto admitted with tension in his voice, “I’m really uneasy. I’m not sure what will happen…”
Despite the development team’s concerns, the liquid hydrogen Corolla delivered a safe and successful demonstration for the press, prompting interest in when it will make its competitive debut.
When enthusiastic Yuta Tomikawa asked, “Can we expect to see it in the 24-hour race?” Naoaki Ito, Project General Manager for the hydrogen engine, smiled wryly and responded, “We’ll do our best.”
The team’s debut race has always been the Fuji 24 Hours: in 2021, when the world’s first hydrogen-powered race car made its appearance, and again in 2023, when it switched from gaseous to liquid hydrogen.
What drama awaits in the new year? With sights already set six months ahead, development is steadily progressing.