Hydrogen Toyota Hilux will face 1,000 km of desert at the 2027 Dakar Rally

Toyota Gazoo Racing has confirmed the official partners of the hydrogen-powered Hilux pickup truck that will compete in the 2027 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia and unveiled the definitive livery of the prototype.

Named DKR GR FC Hilux, the vehicle will compete in the Future Mission 1000 category, reserved for experimental machines that run parallel to the main course, far from the direct dispute for victory in the main class of cars.

Unlike versions equipped with a combustion engine tuned for competition, the model adopts a hydrogen fuel cell system.

According to Toyota, it is a “2.5th generation” set, which combines second-generation components with parts from the third. With this technology, the exhaust emits only water vapor during timed stretches on Saudi soil. The prototype is developed at the brand’s research center in Belgium, where final assembly is underway before the test program that precedes the rally.

Partners and 1,000 timed

km The race will be held between January 1st and 15th, 2027, with start and finish at King Abdullah Economic City. The Future Mission 1000 foresees 13 stages and 1,000 timed kilometers — and, to fulfill them, the Japanese automaker has closed four partnerships. Jameel Motorsport, Toyota and Lexus’ distributor in the host country, provides local logistical support; Denso enters with component technology; IAV provides the Dragoon electronic center and the software that controls it; and Toyo Tires signs the tires, produced in part with sustainable materials, according to the company.

Street version arrives in 2028

The venture also serves to gather data on how the fuel cell behaves under intense heat, dust and vibration. Toyota has already confirmed a hydrogen-powered production Hilux for 2028, with a target of more than 400 km of range in the WLTP cycle, a towing capacity of 2,500 kg and refueling in about five minutes.

The numbers surpass those of the 100% electric Hilux, with 257 km and from 1.600 kg to 2.000 kg of towing, but are below those of the pickup sold in Brazil: the 2.8 turbodiesel, with 204 hp and 50,9 kgfm, tows up to 3.500 kg.

It is not the first time that hydrogen has appeared in the Mission 1000: the HySE-X1 and HySE-X2 prototypes, from a consortium in which Toyota participates, completed the category in 2024 and 2025. It is, however, the debut of the brand’s fuel cell in motorsport — a technology whose serial adoption still runs up against the infrastructure. Europe has 179 hydrogen stations in operation, according to the European Hydrogen Observatory.