The project represents a new challenge to demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell technology in the demanding conditions of the Dakar Rally. Based on the DKR GR Hilux, the DKR GR FC Hilux replaces its gasoline engine with Toyota’s fuel cell system. It emits no CO2 while driving, with water as its only tailpipe emission.

The Dakar Rally’s high temperatures, rough terrain and long stages make it a demanding test environment for hydrogen fuel cell technology. Toyota said that the project will focus on fuel cell downsizing, cooling performance, durability and energy management.

Lessons learned from developing and operating the DKR GR FC Hilux will contribute to the wider application of fuel cell technology in passenger cars, trucks, buses, trains, marine applications, race cars and stationary power generators. Engineers involved in the project also hope to develop problem-solving skills through hands-on, on-site experience.

Testing and tuning of the FCEV powertrain and its software, together with vehicle build-up, have begun in Belgium. A test program will be conducted progressively in the coming months.

The Dakar Rally will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 1 to January 15, 2027, with King Abdullah Economic City serving as the starting and finishing point.

The DKR GR FC Hilux will compete in the Dakar Future Mission 1000 category, which is dedicated to experimental vehicles and the demonstration of new technologies. The category follows a unique competitive format, with crews of drivers and navigators racing against the clock over 13 stages comprising a total of 1,000 competitive kilometers.

Hydrogen in motorsports

Toyota’s efforts to use hydrogen-related technologies in motorsports began in 2021, when Rookie Racing entered the Japanese Super Taikyu series with the hydrogen-engined ORC Rookie Corolla H2 Concept.

In rallying, the potential of hydrogen engines was demonstrated in 2022, when the GR Yaris H2 completed demonstration runs at the Ypres Rally in Belgium, a round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Further development was showcased through demonstration runs by the GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept at Rally Finland in 2025 and Rallye Monte-Carlo in 2026.

In the 2024 Dakar Rally, HySE-X1, a hydrogen-engine buggy, completed the Dakar Future Mission 1000, 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 – featured demonstration laps by the TR LH2 Racing Prototype, which is powered by a liquid-hydrogen engine and based on the TR010 Hybrid race car. In addition, a hydrogen-engined GR Corolla equipped with superconducting technology became the first vehicle of its kind in the world to complete a race in the 2026 Super Taikyu series.

The 2027 Dakar Future Mission 1000 will be the first time Toyota has combined hydrogen and fuel cell technology in its motorsport activities.

In recent news, ORECA selects Siemens’ Simcenter to support motorsport development programs

The TR LH2 Racing Prototype is based on the same chassis as the TR010 Hybrid Hypercar, which will compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 13 and 14. The prototype is designed to support the development of hydrogen technology in motorsport, contribute to Toyota’s ongoing hydrogen research and infrastructure efforts and help foster partnerships aimed at expanding hydrogen applications through motorsport.

Toyota has taken on the challenge of hydrogen engine development in motorsports, initially through Rookie Racing’s participation in the Japanese Super Taikyu series with the ORC Rookie GR Corolla H2 Concept. From 2021, this vehicle used gaseous hydrogen before the introduction of a liquid hydrogen-powered car in 2023.

The potential of hydrogen engines in rallying was initially showcased in 2022 when the GR Yaris H2 completed demonstration runs at Ypres Rally, a round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Further development was highlighted when the GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept conducted demonstrations at the 2025 Rally Finland and this year’s Monte Carlo Rally.

In 2023, the ORC Rookie GR Corolla H2 Concept completed a demonstration lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe, and a hydrogen engine concept car, the GR H2 Racing Concept, was presented to preview a potential future hydrogen category at Le Mans. Since then, development of the technology has intensified, reaching a further milestone with the unveiling of the liquid-hydrogen-powered GR LH2 Racing Concept last year at Le Mans. A year later, the next step in the company’s hydrogen journey is the first public demonstration of the TR LH2 Racing Prototype.

The TR LH2 Racing Prototype will be displayed in the Hydrogen Village before its demonstration laps.

In related news, Project Cavendish: Mahle hydrogen-fueled 13-liter engine matches diesel performance

The certifications validate the specific safety and compliance standards set forth by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and CSA Group, a worldwide standards organization based in Canada.

“With our stationary Toyota fuel cell earning ANSI/CSA FC 1 and FC 6 certifications, there’s now a significantly lower barrier to adoption [of stationary power generator applications],” said Thibaut de Barros Conti, vice president of Toyota Hydrogen Solutions. “These rigorous certifications should put customers at ease when it comes time for their businesses to make investments into more environmentally conscious power generation.”

Hydrogen fuel cells provide an alternative to traditional combustion power generation, with potentially lower environmental impact, depending on how the hydrogen is produced. They work by combining gaseous hydrogen and oxygen in an electrochemical process to produce electricity, resulting in only water vapor as exhaust.

Stationary fuel cell power generators are often allowed to operate with fewer restrictions than traditional internal combustion generators, given they create no carbon emissions at the point of use and produce fewer sound emissions. As fuel cells are often allowed to operate without interruption as long as there’s a fuel source, they can help with peak shaving – augmenting the electrical grid – or even serve as a remote power source in areas not connected to a grid, such as disaster response sites or remote facilities.

In related news, Toyota Motor Europe opens digital hub in Wrocław

Launched in early 2023, Project Cavendish is a £9.8m (US$13.2m) program supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) to develop end-to-end hydrogen powertrain capability for heavy-duty applications and enable the UK’s transition to net zero transportation. As part of the project, Mahle Powertrain has upgraded its testing infrastructure in Northampton for hydrogen operation.

“This milestone demonstrates that hydrogen combustion has a place as a clean fuel in the heavy-duty market,” said Jonathan Hall, head of research and advanced engineering at Mahle Powertrain. “Achieving the target torque and low raw engine-out emissions from a hydrogen-fueled 13-liter heavy-duty engine represents a significant step forward, both for Mahle Powertrain and for the wider industry, as we move toward practical hydrogen combustion solutions for heavy-duty applications.”

Achieving target torque is just the first step, says Mahle; the bigger challenge in hydrogen combustion is controlling NOX emissions. The measured raw engine-out emissions of its converted engine are very low and the addition of a simple selective catalytic reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system will enable the tailpipe emissions to be significantly less than EU VII limits. The measured particulate emissions were negligible and readily manageable using existing particulate filter technology. The results demonstrate that hydrogen combustion engines offer a practical, fast-to-market pathway toward zero-carbon heavy-duty transportation.

Project Cavendish also aims to facilitate wider hydrogen adoption by creating opportunities for external partners to undertake hydrogen engine testing at Mahle Powertrain’s facility in Northampton. The site serves as a center of excellence for the design, development, calibration and testing of all aspects of hydrogen and renewable-fuel powertrain engineering. Mahle Powertrain has reported growing interest from new customers and expects commercialization of its hydrogen and renewable fuels infrastructure to expand significantly over the coming year.

The project brings together expertise from Mahle Powertrain, Phinia, BorgWarner, Cambustion, Hartridge and Oxford Brookes University to deliver the next generation of hydrogen combustion technology.

In related news, Volvo begins on-road testing of hydrogen ICE heavy trucks

The Future of Automotive Testing Conference

This day of high-level content will explore various topics and provide an engaging opportunity to learn from and connect with industry peers. Situated among the exhibits, it will have a relaxing atmosphere, and visitors will be able to dip in and out at their leisure. A highlight will be ATTI’s on-stage interview with Jon Quigley, who worked for Volvo for many years and now runs his own company, Value Transformation. With his broad experience and portfolio of contacts, he’s a very good person to know. He loves sharing his thoughts, too, hence his new gig as ATTI’s regular columnist.

Read Quigley’s latest column on p36 of the September issue.

Also during the conference, Venkat Adusumalli, software engineering manager at Stellantis, will reveal how Stellantis is using AI to accelerate E/E system testing and validation workflows. Click here for a pre-show interview with him.

Innovation Showcase

The free-to-attend Innovation Showcase also provides an interactive platform for learning about new technologies. Speakers will welcome questions and discussion after their presentations, making it a great way to explore ideas together. Like the conference, it will take place within the main hall, so it will be very easy to listen in while wandering through the exhibits, or to come and go throughout the day.

Technology debuts

The industry is moving quickly and it can be a challenge to keep up. Every year there is an abundance of new technologies on display. Some are incremental improvements to existing products, others are entirely new. It’s always surprising how companies find ways around bottlenecks. Often, these developments emerge from ongoing conversations between supplier and customer, ultimately benefiting multiple companies.

Read ATTI‘s comprehensive expo preview in the September issue.

Face-to-face discussions  

It sounds obvious, but the most fruitful conversations are usually the ones that happen in person – it’s how journalists find the best stories. Year after year, exhibitors and visitors report having forged unexpected collaborations at the show, in the form of technology tie-ups or service partnerships.

Detroit’s revival 

A lot of money has been plowed into Detroit in recent years, as evidenced by the stunning renovation of Michigan Central Station, which is well worth a visit. Much of the investment has been in the tech sector. Eleven years ago – when the station was still derelict – ATTI took a tour of some of the labs at GM and what was then the FCA headquarters (see The right wave length, November 2014, Seasonal highlights, September 2015, and Powerbase, March 2015). The facilities were impressive then and are even more so now, thanks to several years of investment in innovation leading to Detroit’s resurgence as an automotive powerhouse.

Visit the Automotive Testing Expo North America website to secure your FREE pass, which will give you access to the expo, the Future of Automotive Testing Conference and the Innovation Showcase

“The launch of the first-ever fuel cell production model from BMW in 2028 will add another exceptionally efficient high-performance drive system with zero emissions to our technology-open product portfolio,” said Joachim Post, a member of the board of management of BMW AG. “The choice of Steyr as the production location clearly demonstrates our commitment to a European innovation footprint. The BMW competence centers in Munich and Steyr have a key role to play in the development of pioneering fuel cell systems.”

Compact, powerful, efficient

The first generation of the fuel cell drive system was supplied entirely by the Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and was fitted in the BMW 535iA back in 2014. The second generation made its debut in the current BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet. This time, BMW has developed the overall fuel cell system itself, while the individual fuel cells came from Toyota.

For the latest generation, the BMW Group and Toyota jointly developed the powertrain system for passenger vehicles, with the core fuel cell technology creating synergies for commercial and passenger vehicle applications.

The third generation has reduced the space taken up by the fuel cell system by 25% as the increase in power density has enabled a compact construction compared with the preceding generation. The system is set to be substantially more efficient than its predecessor thanks to upgraded individual parts that are based on the drive technology jointly developed with Toyota, and improved operating strategies. These advances result in increased range and output combined with lower energy consumption, which represents a significant improvement over the second generation.  The latest fuel cell can also be integrated into future vehicle architectures.

Technological expertise: Munich

BMW is making prototypes of the highly efficient fuel cell systems at the company’s competence center for hydrogen in Munich. An electrochemical reaction takes place in the fuel cell, which involves hydrogen from the tanks reacting with oxygen from the air. This reaction produces electricity that powers the electric motor and thereby supplies the vehicle with energy.

The fuel cell system comprises not only the fuel cells themselves but also all the components and systems needed for their efficient operation. These include the cooling system and hydrogen and air subsystems.

Prototype production is currently focused on development and validation of the assembly and testing processes, with particular attention paid to industrialization, quality assurance and scalability in the longer term. In parallel, the prototypes are being used to develop an operating strategy and for validation on both a system and a vehicle level. These steps aim to prepare the technology for series production.

Series production: Steyr

Production of the fuel cell systems is due to get underway in 2028 at BMW Group Plant Steyr. New test rigs and production facilities are being built, and buildings are being modified to incorporate the drive technology and refine it.

“We are proud to be producing another innovative drive technology at Plant Steyr in the future alongside the latest generation of electric motors and combustion engines,” said Klaus von Moltke, senior vice president of engine production at BMW and director of BMW Plant Steyr. “This, together with the development expertise we have available on-site, makes our plant a prime example of the BMW Group’s technology-open approach.”

Component manufacture: Landshut

Landshut is responsible for manufacturing components for the fuel cell vehicles. Construction of hardware and equipment for the series production of the BMW Energy Master will start in late May 2026. The BMW Energy Master controls the supply of power in the vehicle across a range from 400- 800V. It also acts as the interface for data from the high-voltage battery. This control unit is supplemented by various components that are specifically required for the fuel cell application. Production of the prototypes will begin in mid-2026.

In related news, Siemens Digital Industries Software recently announced that Nidec Corporation has adopted Teamcenter X software from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software, with the goal of achieving innovative motor development and supply, and setting new industry standards, including automotive

The FullStack TS research project, which focused on heavy-duty applications, has now been completed. The EIS system was successfully integrated into the recently developed test stand for full-stack fuel cells with an output of up to 200kW by MS2 Engineering und Anlagenbau, and was put into operation at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy can be used to obtain valuable information about the processes taking place inside a bipolar electrochemical system. In the case of a PEM fuel cell, for example, internal cell resistance or membrane moisture content can be measured. The measuring systems have a decentralized design with compact, galvanically insulated measuring heads mounted directly on the cell stack, which provides high signal fidelity, short cable runs and increased safety.

The multi-channel EIS modules offer time-synchronous measurements on a large number of channels at comparatively low measurement costs.

“Our aim was to make high-resolution, multi-channel EIS measurements economically feasible and technically robust, even under harsh environmental conditions” said Wolfgang Neu, managing director of Smart Testsolutions. “The newly developed MCM U02AC modules achieve this through a combination of robust industrial hardware, modular design and powerful software that simplifies operation and data analysis.”

Due to its modular design and temperature resistance, the solution can also be used in other electrochemical systems such as batteries, electrolyzers and redox flow batteries with slight modifications.

In related news, Johnson Matthey (JM) recently upgraded its Gothenburg site to strengthen its heavy-duty vehicle testing capabilities. JM has expanded its H2 ICE capabilities, scaling up its ability to test with engines. Read the full story here

The facility will test the performance of catalysts within the wider engine aftertreatment and control systems.

Upgrades to the testing capabilities will include the facility’s own hydrogen supply and storage area (H2 at max. 500 bar) with ​ compressor and intermediate storage tank, control/safety system for compressor/storage, and hydrogen flow meter and analyzer. There will also be a test cell upgrade to support H2 ICE engines up to 600kW (800hp), a safety system, multiple gas sensors and new fire detection sensors, as well as the adaptation of conventional exhaust measuring instruments.

Tauseef Salma, chief technology officer at Johnson Matthey Clean Air, said, “With a rich heritage in tackling air pollution, Johnson Matthey is continuing to invest in its world-class testing facilities and maintaining our leading role in heavy-duty road transportation.

“The upgrade of our testing capabilities in Gothenburg to include H2 ICE is a real show of our backing to this technology, as we seek to unleash the potential of hydrogen mobility. Across Europe and elsewhere, we cannot rely on battery electric vehicles alone to solve our challenges. H2 ICE is already a ready-to-go technology with hydrogen solutions in road transport maturing, reliable and essential if we are to meet our decarbonization and climate goals.”

In related news, Kistler recently launched the 4012A absolute pressure sensor for hydrogen pressure measurements, designed to deliver reliable measurements to optimize hydrogen-fueled combustion engines and for pressure monitoring in fuel cells

The project will deliver solutions and a clear upgrade path to enable hydrogen combustion using current platforms and infrastructure. It involves Mahle Powertrain’s flexible testing facility in Northampton, combined with the company’s experience with alternative fuels such as hydrogen and methanol.

“Hydrogen combustion engines (H2 ICE) are well suited to heavy-duty, long-distance applications that are hard to electrify,” said Jonathan Hall, Mahle Powertrain’s head of research and advanced engineering. “Its use allows industry to take advantage of years of development and investment as a means to accelerate the transition toward net zero.”

The EU’s recently revised CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles require a 45% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030, rising to 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2040. In response to this legislation, the UK government has committed £8.3bn (US$10.3bn) for Great British Energy – a new, publicly owned, clean-energy company – to invest in the hydrogen industry and up to £21.7bn (US$27bn) for large-scale infrastructure projects.

Project Cavendish draws on the experience of several partners including Phinia, BorgWarner, Cambustion, Hartridge and Mahle Powertrain to develop novel fuel-injection systems and supporting turbocharging parts that can be ready for high-volume production in time to meet legislation.

Mahle’s recently expanded Northampton facility has the capacity to hold two tube trailers on-site, with rapid switch-over between them to ensure a near-continuous supply of hydrogen. Upgraded engine dynamometers with a 900kW/4,000Nm nominal capacity can support key heavy-duty demands, while in-house-designed control systems and software ensure safety.

The blower recirculates unused hydrogen to improve hydrogen consumption and performance. The system is efficient as it draws minimum power from the fuel cell to reduce hydrogen usage.

The recirculation blower works with ZF’s fuel cell air compressor, announced in April 2023. The compressor delivers air to the fuel cell stack, facilitating the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. Together, these products form part of ZF’s Balance of Plant (BoP) portfolio. The hydrogen recirculation blower is built to be durable throughout the lifetime of the commercial vehicle, helping to reduce the total cost of ownership.

“ZF has applied its extensive expertise in system integration and air bearing systems to develop these innovative products,” said Dr Christian Brenneke, head of innovation and development at ZF’s commercial vehicle solutions division.

The blower is compact, lightweight and optimized for efficiency, being based on the turbomachinery concept. Its high-speed electrical motor can reach up to 100,000rpm, using air-bearing technology to eliminate the need for lubrication and prevent contamination of the fuel cell stack. This ensures optimal efficiency and high mass flows. The system also includes an integrated inverter that supports 800V high-voltage systems.

ZF’s hydrogen recirculation blower is compact as it uses a patented electric media-gap motor technology – the water separator is integrated directly into the device, eliminating the need for active cooling.