Toyota Mirai, an alternative to hybrids and electric cars

Toyota Mirai

There are more and more real alternatives to vehicles that run on fossil fuels. Hybrids and electric cars are increasingly present, but other options besides these are also starting to stand out in different countries that have the necessary refuelling infrastructure, because without it they could not be driven.

An example of this is the vehicle that Toyota has developed as an alternative to its hybrid vehicles, but which for now is only available in Japan, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Germany, where the infrastructure for hydrogen refuelling for this type of vehicle is more developed. The range of the Toyota Mirai is similar to that of any petrol vehicle (550 kilometres), and each refuelling takes only between 3 and 5 minutes.

The exterior design is very distinctive and eye-catching, so it leaves no one indifferent. Its angular lines run along the entire bodywork, from the front, where the large air intakes stand out, which draw in 22 litres of air every 100 kilometres to make the hydrogen react and produce energy, to the rear, where the light clusters play a major role. It incorporates the Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS) with fuel cell and hybrid technology and a new FC stack unit design, as well as high-pressure hydrogen tanks patented by Toyota.

Toyota Mirai

The interior follows the futuristic design line seen in the instrument panel, dashboard and centre console, with fully digital instrumentation and driver information, mostly operated by touch control. With such a display of technology, the Toyota Mirai lives up to its name, since Mirai means future in Japanese.

It is a saloon that runs thanks to the combination of hydrogen and oxygen in its fuel cell stack, which generates the electricity that powers the 154 CV electric motor driving the vehicle. It offers very good performance, taking the Mirai to a top speed of 178 km/h with an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.6 seconds, figures that are not bad at all for a car that weighs 1,850 kilograms.

The Toyota Mirai measures 4.89 metres, but its interior is limited to a four-seat cabin and a boot of small capacity due to the intrusion of the hydrogen tanks located in front of and behind the rear axle. They hold 5 kilograms of hydrogen, equivalent to 122.4 litres. As a by-product it produces 7 litres of water per 100 kilometres travelled, so it is a zero-emission vehicle.

Interior of the Toyota Mirai

Both safety and infotainment systems are very prominent in such a futuristic and avant-garde model. It features the Pre-Collision Safety System (PCS), Blind Spot Monitor (BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Lane Departure Alert (LDA), Automatic High Beam Control (AHB) and Drive Start Control.

In addition to all these safety systems, other preventive safety functions are included, such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control (VSC+TRC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Hill Start Assist Control and Emergency Stop Signal.

The Toyota Mirai has tough rivals, as its technology is more expensive and complicated than that of its most direct competitors, which are vying to become a real alternative to conventional cars and are gradually carving out a niche among customers who prefer something different and with zero polluting emissions.

Source | Toyota