Toyota is participating in the upcoming Dakar Rally with this hydrogen buggy

Not hydrogen-electric, but a four-cylinder with supercharger

First of all, apologies for the poor footage. For nicer (or even more) pictures we will have to wait for the presentation of the tangible off-roader. In any case, after two consecutive Dakar victories by Nasser Al-Attiyah in the Toyota Hilux, the Japanese brand now wants to go emission-free rallying. Meet the HySE-X1, Toyota's hydrogen buggy for the Dakar Rally.

The HySE-X1 (a name that looks a bit strange in a hashtag without dashes) will compete in the Mission 1000 class in 2024. Only trucks, motorcycles and cars running on hydrogen, electricity and biofuel are allowed to participate in this category. The goal of this class is not to complete all the tests the fastest, but to test and show what is already possible.

Toyota's off-roader on hydrogen

Toyota's buggy for the Dakar Rally will have a 1.0-liter supercharged four-cylinder from a motorcycle, which runs on hydrogen. What Toyota wants to achieve with the HySE-X1 is to create 'a technological blueprint for a hydrogen-powered combustion engine'. The engine must be suitable for use on public roads as well as in motorsport.

By the way, there is a Belgian touch to the Toyota buggy for Dakar: the chassis was built by Overdrive Racing. This team also works on the Hilux of Al-Attiyah. Overdrive also refuels the off-roader and the team maintains all hydrogen parts of the buggy. For us, this Toyota project is an extra reason that we don't need to follow the Dakar Rally again from January 5 to 19, 2024.

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