TOKYO – Toyota’s plans to plug the potential of a new liquefied hydrogen carbon-neutral combustion engine at an endurance race next weekend went up in flames. Quite literally.
The modified Corolla race car caught fire during testing because of a leak in a hydrogen fuel line.
No one was hurt in the March 8 accident, and the driver managed to escape the vehicle after an emergency failsafe kicked in, Toyota said in a briefing Wednesday.
But technicians will not be able to get the car ready for its debut at a five-hour race in Japan’s Super Taikyu series scheduled for March 19 at the Suzuka Circuit in western Japan.