- The DKR GR FC Hilux will race the full Dakar Rally using hydrogen as its only fuel.
- The truck will cover 621 miles of special stages during the rally.
- Toyota partnered with Jameel Motorsport, Denso, Toyo Tires, and IAV to support the entry.
Toyota Gazoo Racing plans to run a hydrogen-powered vehicle in Dakar Future Mission 1000 in January 2027. The DKR GR FC Hilux is a fuel cell variant of the team's existing Dakar Hilux, and the truck is showing its race livery for the first time.
The truck lines up in Dakar Future Mission 1000, a challenge for alternative-energy machines that runs alongside the main rally rather than in the headline car class. Toyota has now locked in four partners, Jameel Motorsport, Denso, Toyo Tires and IAV, to get the fuel cell Hilux through about 621 miles of Mission 1000 running.
Gallery: Toyota DKR GR FC Hilux
Toyota Gazoo Racing's Hydrogen Hilux Program
The DKR GR Hilux that already races at Dakar runs a combustion engine tuned for punishment. The FC version swaps that setup for a Toyota fuel cell stack, so its exhaust during the Saudi desert program is mainly water vapor rather than combustion gases.
Toyota calls the hardware a "2.5-generation" system, blending second-generation fuel cells with newer third-generation components, according to comments from the company's hydrogen factory president at September's Hannover transport show. That is still a step behind the completely new stack Toyota is developing for road use.
The hydrogen Hilux represents a new step for Toyota in Dakar Future Mission 1000 after earlier HySE hydrogen prototypes completed the same format in 2024 and 2025. Toyota now wants to gather more data on how a fuel cell system copes with heat, vibration, sand and long days running off-road.
The commercial payoff is already dated. Toyota points to a road-going Hilux Fuel Cell targeted for 2028, promising over 250 miles of range and 5,500 pounds of towing capacity, figures a desert program can help validate under real load.
Denso, Toyo Tires And The Supporting Cast
Jameel Motorsport is not a random sponsor pickup. It is Toyota and Lexus's authorized distributor in Saudi Arabia, the country hosting the Dakar Rally 2027 from January 1 through January 15, and it gives Gazoo Racing a local logistics and support base for the event.
Denso brings the parts supply that a fuel cell truck needs more than a combustion one, given how much of the powertrain, cooling and electronics stack is still unproven at rally speed. IAV, an engineering firm, rounds out the technical side of the entry.
Toyo Tires announced on September 17, 2026 that it will supply its Open Country M/T-R rubber, a tire the company says is tuned for top-level rally raid competition and built for rough terrain, wear resistance and durability using sustainable materials.
Toyota describes the DKR GR FC Hilux as its first fuel cell electric entry in the Dakar Future Mission 1000 category. The move lines up with a broader hydrogen push, including Toyota's recent fuel cell deals signed with truck makers Scania and Iveco at the same Hannover show where the Dakar program was detailed.
Motor1's Take: A full Dakar entry exposes fuel cells to extreme real-world stress. Those lessons could speed validation and fixes for Toyota's road programs.
Watch how Toyota manages hydrogen refueling and component reliability across stages. Success would give partners real data. Wider adoption still needs refueling networks and lower costs.
