Does the Toyota Mirai fit in too well?

Compared to battery electrics, fuel cell vehicles have barely received a second glance from consumers.

Though the Toyota Mirai hydrogen car is widely considered to be one of the most technically advanced passenger vehicles, consumers have greatly favored battery electrics instead.

Since the Mirai first became available for purchase in 2015, about 10,000 have sold.

As advanced as the Mirai hydrogen car is, it doesn’t stand out in traffic other than looking like other types of luxury vehicle. The cabin’s noise isolation, finish, fit, and even its heated seats also closely reflect those of a luxury vehicle. That said, driving it has the feeling of an electric motor, and it moves more swiftly and nimbly than its actual weight of 4,200 pounds would indicate.

This is a great video review showing the Mirai’s features…

https://youtu.be/Rtf7Cr7Pj4I

Mirais only stand out as hydrogen cars once their hoods are opened.  There, the fuel cells, labeled as such, become visible. The refillable H2 tank is located behind the back seat. When it is in operation, the only emissions are water and heat, without any greenhouse gases.

Transportation accounts for 20 percent of global emissions, but a hydrogen car isn’t popular like heavy-duty H2 vehicles

While trucks, buses, ships, trains and other heavy-duty and long-haul vehicles are increasingly looking to H2 as a zero-emission fuel – as are industries difficult to decarbonize, such as steel manufacturing – the same cannot yet be said about passenger vehicles, even despite luxury stylings.

While many countries and companies are focusing on H2 among the clean energy technologies, it doesn’t appear that the Toyota Mirai 2022 has the opportunity to be as popular as battery electric vehicles, which have gained substantial momentum, particularly over the last couple of years.

For one thing, the hydrogen car models aren’t rolling out nearly as quickly as battery electric models. For another, charging station networks are expanding rapidly in many regions, but H2 refuelling station networks aren’t expanding nearly as quickly. Between far greater ability of battery electrics over fuel cell vehicles, and the fact that consumers can see more places to recharge than to refuel, it might be difficult for H2 powered passenger vehicles to catch up in the near future, which we hope is not the case.

H2 Spotlight Questions – Can combustion engines run on hydrogen? Take a closer look! How viable and efficient are hydrogen combustion engines? With the promise of H2 as a primary zero-emission fuel, possibilities exist across many technologies. Fuel cells may be the most widely known right now, but we’re still early in the game. Experts are also looking into the opportunities in H2 combustion motors. This includes big names as we’ve seen in recent Toyota news headlines!  Join HFN as we take a closer look at how companies are already converting semi trucks to clean H2.  Don’t miss our Learning Center and free ebook resources for more great information. Sign up below to make sure you don’t miss any of the latest H2 news.