Toyota enters Thai 25-hour race with carbon neutral race cars

Toyota to race carbon neutral race cars outside Japan

Toyota has been using motorsports to explore other options aside from electrification to achieve carbon neutrality. Since 2021, the manufacturer has participated in the Super Taikyu series with Rookie Racing using a hydrogen-powered Corolla and a GR86 running on synthetic fuel.

Now, the brand is accelerating its development of carbon-neutral technologies by racing outside Japan. Toyota and Rookie Racing have announced they are running in the 2022 Idemitsu 1500 Super Endurance Race – a 25-hour race at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand.

Happening December 17 to 18, 2022, Toyota will enter the GR Corolla H2 Concept race car and a GR86 running on carbon-neutral fuel. However, the team won't run the full 25 hours; Toyota will only take the cars to the track for the first and last few hours of the race. The team aims to demonstrate the potential of clean energy options outside electrification while keeping internal combustion engines alive.

In addition, one of Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Thailand’s race cars will also run using carbon-neutral fuels. Toyota has not announced the driver lineup for the Thailand 25-hour race. But since it's an important milestone for the brand, there's a possibility that we may even see the master driver himself, Toyota president Akio Toyoda drive one of the GR Corollas. 

Now that the demonstration moves outside Japan, Rookie Racing and Toyota’s participation in the Buriram race will showcase the new technologies of hydrogen engines and synthetic fuel vehicles in the ASEAN region. Furthermore, it solidifies Toyota’s commitment to further expand and accelerate the development of carbon-neutral mobility options through motorsports.