Can Hydrogen Save The Combustion Engine? Toyota Thinks So

Toyota’s taking a different route on the road to cleaner performance, and it’s not just about EVs or hybrids anymore. One of their most interesting moves? A rally-ready GR Yaris powered not by gasoline or electricity, but by liquid hydrogen. 

Yep, this isn’t just another lab experiment. The GR Yaris H2 Concept is a fully built rally car that follows Rally2 regulations—think wide fenders, big wings, and plenty of real race hardware underneath. It might not look as wild as the top-tier Rally1 WRC cars, but it still carries serious motorsport attitude. You’ll spot the hydrogen version by its unique livery and the open, vented rear panels where you’d usually see windows.

Toyota’s been working on this quietly at its motorsport HQ in Finland, putting the car through its paces on both gravel and tarmac. They haven’t shared full specs yet, but it’s likely powered by a modified version of the same turbocharged 1.6-liter engine found in the standard GR Yaris. Only this one burns liquid hydrogen instead of petrol.

What’s the benefit? You still get the raw sound and feel of an internal combustion engine—something rally fans love—but with almost zero emissions from the tailpipe. That’s why Toyota believes hydrogen could play a key role in making motorsport more sustainable, without losing what makes it exciting.

The car will make its public debut at Rally Finland, with none other than four-time World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen behind the wheel. He’ll be driving it on the Harju stage before it goes on display next to Toyota’s hydrogen Mirai sedan and the experimental Tundra prototype.

This isn’t Toyota’s first rodeo with hydrogen combustion either. They’ve already tested a hydrogen-powered GR Corolla in Japan’s Super Taikyu racing series, and they’ve been working on hydrogen-fueled versions of the HiAce van and Tundra truck. There’s even a wild GR LH2 concept out there—a Le Mans-style hybrid racer with a hydrogen-burning engine.

So while most automakers are going all-in on electric, Toyota’s trying to keep the combustion engine alive, but cleaner. If this rally Yaris is anything to go by, it might just work.