Toyota to debut hydrogen-powered pace car

"Having a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle pace the Toyota Owners 400 is a historic moment for both Toyota and NASCAR and we're proud it's the Toyota Mirai," said Ed Laukes, vice president of marketing, performance and guest experience, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. "Bringing the Mirai to Richmond to pace this important race is another way for Toyota to showcase our innovation and environmental leadership."
 
According to Toyota officials, the Mirai received final approval from NASCAR Thursday after final tests at RIR.
 
It is the second time Toyota has used the NASCAR platform to promote hybrid and alternative fuel technology. In 2009, the automaker selected the Toyota Camry Hybrid to serve as the official pace car for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
 
In 2008 for the season-ending event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, NASCAR used a Ford Fusion Hybrid for pre-race parade laps only.
 
Toyota currently provides pace cars at 12 of the 23 tracks hosting NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events. The Mirai will be used only for Saturday night's race; the Camry Hybrid will be used during Friday's NASCAR XFINITY Series race, the ToyotaCare 250.
 
Debuting the car at Richmond this weekend makes sense, as it ties in with NASCAR's Race To Green platform and this week's Earth Day celebration.
 
"There are a number of fronts that we're trying to make sure that we're communicating and building on, and sustainability and green is a hallmark of our NASCAR brand now," Brent Dewar, Chief Operating Officer for NASCAR, said.
 
"… Every day is a green day; it should be for fans and for us. This really allows us to have a platform to tell the story and we kick it off this week around Earth Day. But we do it 365 days a year.
 
"We're real proud of our ethanol green initiative that we have with our renewables and with the Sunoco Green E15 cars and the American Ethanol renewable resource.
 
"Then with our partner Toyota, to draw attention to an emerging technology that they've been working on. Beside hybrids and electric vehicles, we're going to show the world how a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle operates in a race ... leading our Sunoco green cars."
 
Dewar said there were no plans to compete with hydrogen fuel cells in NASCAR. Since 2011, NASCAR's race cars have been fueled with Sunoco Green E15, a race fuel blended with 15 percent American ethanol.
 
"It's a future technology that's arriving today after 20 years of development," he said of the hydrogen fuel cell. "It's exciting. And the fact that Toyota, our great partner for the last 10 years, would select the NASCAR platform and a race to showcase that, we couldn't be more delighted.
 
"That's a real big testament to what kind of partner Toyota is, and they're leaders in environmental sustainability both as a company and with the products on the marketplace and on the track."
 
The Mirai is a four-door, mid-size sedan. According to Toyota officials, it refuels in approximately five minutes and can travel up to 300 miles on a full tank.
 
It will be available for purchase first to buyers in California later this year.

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