GAZOO Racing will enter the DKR GR FC Hilux, a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), into the Dakar Rally 2027, as part of its commitment to creating increasingly better cars born from motorsport.
The project represents a new challenge to showcase hydrogen fuel cell technology under the demanding conditions of the Dakar Rally. Based on the DKR GR Hilux, which has already proven itself in the rally’s main category, the DKR GR FC Hilux replaces its gasoline engine with Toyota’s fuel cell system. The vehicle emits zero CO₂ while driving, releasing only water from the exhaust.
The harsh Dakar environment, characterized by extreme temperatures, rugged terrain, and long stages, provides the ideal testing ground for fuel cell technology. To deliver high performance safely and reliably in these conditions, the project will focus on reducing the size of the fuel cell, optimizing cooling, durability, and energy management.
The lessons learned from developing and operating the DKR GR FC Hilux in one of the world’s most challenging motorsport environments will contribute to broader applications of fuel cell technology in passenger cars, trucks, buses, trains, maritime applications, race cars, and stationary power generators. The engineers involved in the project will also develop problem‑solving abilities through hands‑on, local experiences in this high‑pressure environment, which will provide future input for vehicle development.
Tests and calibrations of the FCEV powertrain and its software, together with the vehicle assembly, have already begun in Belgium. A testing program will be carried out progressively over the coming months.
The Dakar Rally will take place in Saudi Arabia from January 1 to January 15, 2027, with King Abdullah Economic City as the starting and ending point. This grueling route pushes vehicles and drivers to their limits as it winds through sand dunes, rocky gravel roads, and dry riverbeds.
The DKR GR FC Hilux will compete in the Dakar Future Mission 1000 category, dedicated to experimental vehicles and the demonstration of new technologies. The category follows a unique competitive format, with teams of drivers and navigators racing against the clock across 13 stages, totaling 1,000 kilometers of competition. The DKR GR FC Hilux aims to prove the performance, safety, and reliability of fuel cell technology during these stages.
Participation in the Dakar Future Mission 1000 represents another step in Toyota’s efforts to reach carbon neutrality in motorsport and to broaden the potential of hydrogen-related technologies.
Toyota’s efforts to use these technologies in motorsport began in 2021, when Rookie Racing entered the ORC ROOKIE Corolla H2 Concept, equipped with a hydrogen engine, in Japan’s Super Taikyu.
In rallying, the potential of hydrogen engines was demonstrated in 2022 when the GR Yaris H2 performed demonstrations at the Ypres Rally in Belgium, a round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Continued development was showcased through demonstrations of the GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept at the Rally Finland in 2025 and the Monte Carlo Rally in 2026.
In the Dakar Rally, in 2024, the HySE-X1—a hydrogen-powered buggy—completed the Dakar Future Mission 1000 category, followed in 2025 by the evolved HySE-X2. Both vehicles were entered by HySE (Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology Association), a technical research association in which Toyota Motor Corporation participates.
In circuit racing, the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans — a round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) — featured exhibition laps by the TR LH2 Racing Prototype, powered by a liquid hydrogen engine and based on the TR010 HYBRID race car. Additionally, a GR Corolla with a hydrogen engine equipped with superconducting technology became the first of its kind in the world to complete a race in the 2026 Super Taikyu.
The 2027 Dakar Future Mission 1000 will mark the first time Toyota combines hydrogen and fuel cell technology in its motorsport activities.
Through the Dakar Rally, Toyota will continue advancing its challenge to unlock the potential of carbon-neutral and hydrogen-related technologies in competition.
