Le Mans 24-hour race to include hydrogen-powered vehicles starting in 2026

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's most famous endurance race, will be open to hydrogen-powered cars starting in 2026, Pierre Fillon, the president of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, said Saturday.
Fillon spoke at Japan's Fuji Speedway, which is holding a 24-hour race that includes hydrogen power.
The vehicles for Le Mans will include both fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines, Fillon said. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest organizes the race in Le Mans.
"The 24 hours of Le Mans regulations have always advocated for freedom and variety," Fillon said. "As such I can officially announce today that both technologies will be accepted and authorized for manufactures which seek to enter the 24 hours of Le Mans in the hydrogen class."
Toyota Motor Corporation President Koji Sato said he hoped to make an announcement "in the near future" about Toyota's participation in Le Mans.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'There was a Nazi in the chamber': Tensions flare in the House over Speaker's recognition
Tensions flared in the House of Commons on Monday morning over opposition calls for House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota to resign after apologizing to the House of Commons for inviting, recognizing and leading the chamber in a standing ovation for a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.
BREAKING U.K. police open sexual offences investigation after allegations about Russell Brand
British police have opened a sex crimes investigation triggered by news reports about comedian Russell Brand.
Canada travel advisory to India updated to include protests, 'negative sentiments'
Canada has updated its travel advisory for India to include warnings about protests and 'negative sentiments' towards Canadians in light of a recent breakdown in Canada-India relations.
We carry DNA from extinct cousins like Neanderthals. Science is now revealing their genetic legacy
Using the new and rapidly improving ability to piece together fragments of ancient DNA, scientists are finding that traits inherited from Neanderthals are still with us now, affecting our fertility, our immune systems, even how our bodies handled the COVID-19 virus.
Four in 10 child patients face unsafe spinal surgery wait times in Canada: report
Four out of ten child patients in Canada are facing unsafe spinal surgery wait times, which could cost the health-care system $44.6 million, according to a new report that was published Monday.
Toronto woman hospitalized overseas with botulism
A Toronto woman has been hospitalized in France with a severe case of botulism after eating improperly preserved sardines at a Bordeaux wine bar.
RCMP demolish last structure at Quebec's Roxham Road migrant crossing
The last RCMP building is coming down at Roxham Road, which became an unofficial border crossing used by more than 100,000 migrants crossing into Canada from Upstate New York to apply for asylum since 2017.
Thousands of Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh as Turkish president is set to visit Azerbaijan
Thousands of Armenians streamed out of Nagorno-Karabakh after the Azerbaijani military reclaimed full control of the breakaway region while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was set to visit Azerbaijan Monday in a show of support to its ally.
UN rights experts decry war crimes by Russia in Ukraine and look into genocide allegations
Independent UN-backed human rights experts said Monday they have turned up continued evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces in their war against Ukraine, including torture -- some of it with such "brutality" that it led to death -- and rape of women aged up to 83 years old.