Gazoo Racing will enter the DKR GR FC Hilux, a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), in the 2027 Dakar Rally.

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, hydrogen-powered JCB Hydromax completes UK testing ahead of land speed record attempt

As Europeans are keeping their vehicles on the road longer, maintaining vehicle performance is a key cost-saving measure. Over time, everyday driving can lead to the buildup of deposits and sludge inside an engine, affecting efficiency, responsiveness and long-term reliability. In response, Valvoline has announced the European launch of its Restore & Protect lubricant.

Able to remove up to 99% of engine-killing deposits and 78% of sludge, Restore & Protect addresses deposits already inside the engine while protecting against future build-up, offering “active engine renewal”, the company said, adding that with continuous use, Restore & Protect can help renew engines.

The lubricant’s Active-Clean Technology targets and removes existing engine deposits over time, and its Liqui-Shield Technology works to prevent new deposits from forming.

Formulated for European roads and drivers 

After successful debuts in other global markets, Valvoline has adapted Restore & Protect for the needs and requirements of both gasoline and diesel engines. The European formulation has been validated through rigorous testing and meets key ACEA and API performance standards and is suitable for use across a wide range of vehicles and multiple OEM applications dependent on viscosity grade.

“By choosing Restore & Protect as part of routine care, drivers can help keep engines performing at their best today, while supporting long-term performance for many more journeys to come,” said Samuel Raudales, Valvoline global senior vice president and general manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“We developed Restore & Protect to give drivers confidence that their engines are not only protected, but actively cared for throughout their ownership journey, helping to turn back time on their engine by removing sludge and deposits that can build up over miles.

“For 160 years, Valvoline has defined the boundaries of what is possible and Restore & Protect proves again our commitment to never stop innovating.”

Related news, How modular testing is supporting the shift to hydrogen, methanol and ammonia

Toyota Racing will conduct the first public demonstration drives of its liquid-hydrogen-fueled TR LH2 Racing Prototype at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the venue for the 94th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

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, Maserati Nettuno engine transformed into 480kW hydrogen race unit

TotalEnergies and Stellantis have announced the renewal and expansion of their strategic partnership in Europe to develop and deliver solutions for engine oils and lubricants. The partnership has been extended to include all 10 Stellantis brands, with the companies also launching a co-branded range of engine oils featuring two product lines, TotalEnergies Quartz Mopar and TotalEnergies Quartz EV3R Mopar SustainEra, both officially approved for Stellantis’s latest FPW harmonized specifications.

“We are proud to renew our partnership with Stellantis, built on more than 50 years of shared trust and innovation,” said Pierre Duhot, senior vice president – lubricants at TotalEnergies. “This new chapter extends our collaboration to all Stellantis brands and reinforces our common ambition to advance more sustainable and efficient mobility solutions.”

Originally renewed in 2021 for the Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles and Opel, Vauxhall brands, the agreement ha snow been extended to encompass all 10 iconic Stellantis brands: Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Opel, Vauxhall and Peugeot.

“This expanded partnership with TotalEnergies reflects our commitment to quality, innovation and sustainability across all Stellantis brands. By combining technical expertise and a forward-looking approach, we are delivering solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers, especially regarding quality,” said Francesco Abbruzzesi, head of parts and services for Stellantis in Enlarged Europe.

The partnership is structured around four key pillars: research and development, competition, aftersales collaboration and sustainability.

In 2024, TotalEnergies Lubrifiants marked a major milestone in circular innovation with the launch of TotalEnergies Quartz EV3R 10W40 – the first engine oil made from 100% regenerated base oils approved by manufacturers. This product was the first sustainable lubricant in the market co-branded with Stellantis SustainEra.

Both products are recommended across Stellantis brand service networks for vehicle maintenance as original equipment solutions and are approved for warranty and service requirements.

Related news, Alpine and Phinia continue Formula 1 and Alpenglow partnership

Phinia and Alpine are continuing to work together to drive innovation in high-performance motorsport and advanced propulsion technologies. Under its aftermarket brand Delphi, Phinia will build on its multi-year collaboration with the BWT Alpine Formula One Team as the sport enters a technically and competitively intense period ahead of the 2026 season. For the second consecutive year, the Delphi logo will appear on the team’s single-seaters and associated commercial assets, reinforcing its presence on the global F1 calendar and its reputation as a trusted automotive aftermarket supplier.

“Motorsport has always been a critical environment for accelerating innovation, and our partnership with Alpine reflects a shared belief in the value of engineering-led progress,” said Todd Anderson, chief technology officer, Phinia. “These programs allow us to develop and validate advanced fuel systems technology under the most demanding conditions, supporting both high-performance applications today and the evolution of future propulsion technologies.”

Accelerating hydrogen internal combustion technology

This partnership further advances Phinia’s role in Alpine’s Alpenglow hydrogen program, aimed at maximizing the performance potential of hydrogen internal combustion engines (H₂ICE) in high-performance applications. Leveraging Phinia’s hydrogen direct injection system, Alpine has progressed its Alpenglow Hy4 concept to the new Hy6 hydrogen engine, marking a key technical milestone. The Alpenglow Hy6 now features a six-cylinder configuration and has reached speeds of up to 312.9km/h during demonstrations at the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship and the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Pierre-Jean Tardy, chief engineer, hydrogen, Alpine Racing, said, “Motorsport is evolving rapidly and our strive for continuous innovation requires partners who can keep pace, combining long-term vision with proven engineering depth. Phinia is a trusted technical partner for Alpine, and this partnership reflects the confidence we have in their ability to deliver advanced fuel system solutions pioneering hydrogen internal combustion.”

Anderson added, “Our partnership underlines the capability of H₂ICE technology to meet the demands of top-tier motorsport while supporting longer-term decarbonization ambitions. By applying our hydrogen direct injection expertise in a competitive racing environment, we are helping to demonstrate that H₂ICE can deliver performance, efficiency and control at scale – insights that are critical as the industry explores multiple pathways toward lower-carbon propulsion.”

Related news, Lotus reveals plans for range-extended Eletre

Caterham and Motul have announced the renewal of their partnership, bringing together Caterham’s lightweight sportscar expertise and Motul’s long-standing know-how in high-performance lubrication, built on more than 170 years of experience.

The long-term agreement means that every new Caterham Seven built at the Caterham HQ in Dartford, UK, will have its first fill of lubricants supplied by Motul – from the road-going Caterham 170 to every new race car across all five Caterham Motorsport UK Championships.

As part of the partnership, Motul will also become the title sponsor of the Caterham Seven Championship UK for the 2026 season.

Ali McColl, global head of marketing at Caterham, commented, “This partnership is a significant milestone for Caterham, aligning our brand with a world-renowned leader in lubricants and fluid technology, reinforcing our commitment to performance across both our road and race cars. Motul brings a depth of experience in performance and efficiency that few other partners can offer.

“This agreement also marks an exciting new chapter for Caterham Motorsport. As we look ahead to the 2026 season, we are proud to unveil the Motul Caterham Seven Championship UK as the new name for the pinnacle of Caterham racing in the UK.”

Andreea Culcea, chief brand and communication officer at Motul, stated, “We are proud to renew our partnership with Caterham, a brand renowned for its exceptional sportscar expertise. Since 2019, our collaboration has been driven by shared values of performance, craft and precision. At Motul, we are developing tailor-made solutions designed to unlock the full potential of our partners’ machines. Working alongside a manufacturer like Caterham, where hand-crafted, limited-production cars are born from deep engineering know-how and passion, reflects our vision of authentic partnerships.”

In related news, Gibson hits mileage milestone with GK428 engine

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In 2019, TotalEnergies Lubrifiants introduced Quartz EV Fluids, marking the world’s first range of fluids specifically engineered for hybrid and electric vehicles. Thanks to the expertise of its R&D center in Solaize, France, these pioneering and highly innovative products were designed to meet the specific requirements of EVs and associated electrical, thermal and frictional constraints. TotalEnergies EV Fluids also meet the needs of automobile manufacturers and support them in developing efficient driveline systems, while maintaining the vehicles in optimum operating conditions throughout their service life.

Three years later, the very first immersion cooling technology for battery packs was also introduced by TotalEnergies Lubrifiants for hybrid and electric vehicles, significantly improving the safety aspect and fast charging performance.

Today, it confirms its pioneering stance by developing the first specification for electric drive system (EDS) fluids.

A comprehensive specification

At present, there are no standardized specifications for EDS fluids as there are for conventional transmission oils. TotalEnergies Lubrifiants has taken the lead in developing this specification tailored specifically for EV fluids.

Leveraging its expertise and cutting-edge testing resources, TotalEnergies has introduced this new performance standard – a first in the industry for EVs – which is designed to provide crucial support for automobile and parts manufacturers.

This first-ever EV Fluid specification was achieved through a selection of test procedures. Based on the company’s extensive expertise in fluids, this methodological development process guarantees good physico-chemical properties of its EV fluids and compatibility with different materials, especially the new ones found in the electric application compared to conventional transmissions. Then, the tribological properties and durability performance of its EV Fluids would be checked and confirmed at component level for gears and bearings. What’s more, this process notably included the creation of several benches:

• A standardized bench for high-speed transmission efficiency, designed to categorize fluids based on their capacity to enhance battery autonomy.
• A standardized bench for drive units, aimed at classifying fluids according to their thermal capacity in e-motors.
• A durability methodology, based on road data and implemented in drive unit rigs, intended to expedite the vehicle validation process by reducing the time required.

The new specification is designed to ensure that TotalEnergies EV Fluids deliver exceptional performance when faced with the challenges specific to electric applications. It demonstrates once again TotalEnergies pioneering role in the transition era of vehicle electrification and its commitment to developing cutting-edge technologies for these vehicles, as well as its commitment to supporting car manufacturers with innovative, tailored solutions and tools.

Read more here.

XD Thermal Technology has advanced its side-cooling solutions for cylindrical cell-to-pack battery packs, with large-scale production capacity and automotive-grade process control positioning the company as a key supplier, the company says.

Super-fast-charging cylindrical packs contend with heat accumulation during high current/voltage in charging and discharging with high C-rate. XD Thermal’s side liquid-cooling concept routes serpentine tubes along the cell sidewall, increasing effective contact area versus bottom cooling plates. The enlarged vertical contact surface well resolved the challenge of heat gradients in Z-axial direction and eventually enables each individual cell to stay in a much more balanced temperature range, which is considered as a positive factor to maintain a longer life for Li-ion batteries.

XD Thermal has developed a family platform of side-cooled modules and packs built around robust structures and reliable quality assurance methods. Cooling tubes are pitched to match cylindrical cell layouts and can be combined flexibly with different manifolds, brackets and pipelines, while validated flow-path structures and internal design rules keep heat-transfer performance predictable from prototype to mass production.

“Platformized design reduces development cost and time and supports agile development for our customers,” said Guo, a technical engineer at XD Thermal. “With proven solutions of pipeline connections, electrical insulation and geometric combinations, we helped many customers complete side-cooled battery development smoothly.”

“Ramp-up and industrialization matters as much important as product development,” said Sun, head of manufacturing engineering at XD Thermal. In 2024, the company commissioned high-volume serpentine-tube lines with a daily capacity of 30,000 pieces, integrating automated forming, welding, cleaning and 100% leak testing.

“We provide a repeatable, scalable production system with confirmed development roadmap and SOP schedule, giving us proven capability for production ramp-up and line expansion. Normally, production line and toolings preparation could be finished 6-8 weeks before PPAP,” added Sun.

In related news, GAC begins local EV production at Magna’s European plant

Tokyo-based Eneos has launched four products for the North American market.

Eneos Import ATF Model H Plus is a dedicated automatic transmission fluid engineered for Honda 2.0, 3.0 and 3.1 transmissions, meeting factory-fill requirements for Japanese import applications.

The Eneos AC Compressor Oil Ze-GLES RB100EV is a next-generation, POE-compatible compressor oil for hybrid and electric vehicle HVAC systems; it is compatible with R134a and R1234yf refrigerants and designed to support advanced-efficiency vehicles.

Eneos Eco ATF OE+ is the updated replacement for Eco ATF Plus and has been designed to deliver enhanced low-viscosity performance, broader OEM coverage and superior oxidation stability for extended service life.

Eneos has also expanded the packaging for its X Prime 0W-8 and 0W-16 Fully Synthetic Motor Oils, which are now available in five-quart and six-gallon sizes to offer greater flexibility for professional workshops and import specialist service centers.

“As an OE lubricant supplier, Eneos is committed to delivering the same precision-engineered products trusted by original equipment manufacturers to the aftermarket,” said Hiromi Takahashi, general manager of Eneos Group, Eneos USA.

“These new additions extend our capability to serve advanced transmissions, hybrid and EV systems, and professional workshops that demand factory-fill-quality oils.”

In related news, Castrol and Lion Smart collaborate on EV battery cooling

Hyundai Motor Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore to identify opportunities to develop low-carbon technologies, including hydrogen.

The initiative builds on the existing partnership between Hyundai and EDB through the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) – Hyundai’s first global open innovation hub and testbed.

Hyundai is exploring various potential collaborations with Singapore-based companies and startups, as well as the potential use of Singapore’s pipeline network for efficient hydrogen distribution, aiming to address logistical challenges and enhance resource efficiency.

“We are excited to collaborate with the EDB to explore new growth areas, including the development of low-carbon technologies,” said Jaeha Park, vice president and head of the global hydrogen business subdivision at Hyundai. “By bringing our cutting-edge expertise in hydrogen technology, this partnership represents a significant step forward in creating a clean-energy future for Singapore. We look forward to driving impactful solutions that demonstrate the potential of hydrogen as a cornerstone of global sustainability.”

EDB will facilitate Hyundai’s participation in relevant initiatives to build up and apply low-carbon technologies, including potential collaborations with local enterprises and innovation partners to drive technological advances.

“This MoU builds on the strong partnership between EDB and Hyundai Motor Group. The collaboration is closely aligned to Singapore’s commitment to developing a low-carbon economy by supporting companies in sustainable technology development. This will strengthen Singapore’s position as a global innovation hub within Hyundai Motor Group’s global network,” said Zheng Jingxin, vice president and head of mobility at the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Hyundai’s mid- to long-term vision extends globally, as it looks to expand the clean hydrogen ecosystem by integrating eco-friendly energy businesses across neighboring countries, focusing on sustainable energy solutions and advanced infrastructure.

In related news, Hyundai launches Elexio electric SUV in China