One day before the official start of the 91st 24 Hours of Le Mans, Toyota Gazoo Racing has unveiled a future hydrogen-powered race car called the GR H2 Racing Concept.

The announcement, which took place at Circuit de la Sarthe, didn't provide many technical details, but the automaker shared that the vehicle has been designed for future competition events. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) recently announced that hydrogen-engined entrants - fuel-cell or combustion-powered - would be allowed to compete from 2026 in the hydrogen category.

Event organizers have already said they are aiming for all vehicles to run on hydrogen by 2030.

So far, we know the GR H2 Racing Concept will pair a hydrogen engine with a hybrid system, meaning the vehicle will use a combustion setup and not the fuel cell system employed by the road-going Toyota Mirai.

The Le Mans prototype measures 200.7 inches in length and is 80.7 inches wide.

Toyota has long been a proponent of hydrogen technology, particularly in a combustion engine, as it provides all of the thrills and sounds associated with an ICE motor but without the environmental implications. The automaker has showcased the benefits of hydrogen technology through the Super Taikyu Series motorsport competition, where it fields a specially modified version of the GR Corolla.

This has given Toyota the experience and knowledge it needs not only to accelerate the use of hydrogen engines in mainstream motorsport but also in road cars.

"Toyota intends to further advance such efforts for making ever-better motorsports-bred cars and realizing a carbon-neutral society, and it looks forward to taking on the challenge of a new generation of Le Mans 24 races," said the company in a statement.

For now, it's unclear if the Toyota GR H2 Racing Concept will hit the circuit in 2026, but we're guessing the automaker will want to participate as soon as possible.

The marque's fascination with hydrogen technology has drawn criticism from many, with various environmental groups of the opinion that Toyota is unwilling to embrace electric vehicles. The company has responded by saying it believes in a measured approach to carbon-neutral motoring, and that there's space for more than battery-powered EVs.

Speaking to the motoring press, Akio Toyoda remarked that "Le Mans is a place we can push boundaries and realize the future. My goal is to reach carbon neutrality without compromising the speed or excitement of racing."

Toyota hopes to offer combustion-engined hydrogen road cars very soon and has already revealed a hydrogen-powered Corolla Cross concept.