The 2016 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle will pace the Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway on April 25.
The Mirai will therefore become the first hydrogen-fueled vehicle to pace a NASCAR race. The fuel cell car will lead the Sprint Cup Series field to the green flag at Richmond on Saturday night.
“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,” the executive added.
The 153hp four-door, mid-size sedan is said to have enough performance to pace the 43-car NASCAR field at Richmond International Raceway (RIR). The fuel cell electric vehicle was tested and approved by NASCAR to pace the Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race after a test session at RIR. During the testing session, the Mirai met NASCAR’s performance requirements to pace the 400-mile NSCS race.
The Toyota Mirai is powered by hydrogen, refuels in about five minutes and has a driving range of up to 300 miles (483 km) on a full tank. First deliveries are expected in California later this year.
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