Toyota Is Taking a Hydrogen-Powered Hilux to One of the Toughest Races on Earth

A Dakar race truck with no gasoline engine sounds like an odd combination, but Toyota is actually building one. Gazoo Racing has released the first images of its DKR GR FC Hilux, a hydrogen fuel-cell prototype that will tackle the 2027 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia as a rolling test bed for technology that could eventually reach road cars.

The prototype starts with the GR DKR Hilux EVO T1+, Toyota’s current Dakar machine, so there is nothing subtle about its proportions.

It has a shortened wheelbase, huge fenders, oversized off-road tires, and long-travel suspension, while the white-and-blue livery helps separate the fuel-cell truck from its twin-turbo V6-powered sibling that will also compete.

Toyota has not revealed how much power the electric motors produce or how far the Hilux can travel between hydrogen refueling stops. The conventional race truck is limited to 400 hp and 487 lb-ft under FIA rules, but the FC version uses a completely different powertrain. Its fuel-cell system produces electricity for the motors and emits water during operation instead of CO2.

The DKR GR FC Hilux enters Dakar’s Future Mission 1000 category, which is designed for experimental vehicles. Toyota plans to cover more than 621 miles across 13 stages while working on fuel-cell downsizing, cooling, and durability. Those are useful areas to test when the laboratory happens to be one of the toughest off-road races on the planet.

The rally project also connects directly to Toyota’s road-car plans. The company has already confirmed a production Hilux FCEV for 2028, with a targeted range of 248 miles and a 5,512-lb towing capacity. Meanwhile, the regular GR DKR Hilux EVO T1+ continues Toyota’s main Dakar program, which has produced four overall victories since 2019.

The 2027 rally should give Toyota a very different way to find out how hydrogen copes with the desert.