Sustainable ways to travel have been a purpose for research and development for a while now. Every company today wants to be the first to introduce the next best alternative that is not only efficient but also environment friendly. For many years, Toyota has been one of the leading advocates for the use of hydrogen fuel in both road vehicles and racing vehicles. Recently, Toyota announced to the world that they are here with its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle- Toyota Mirai.
Toyota presented its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle at the ongoing Auto Expo 2023 event in Greater Noida. Running on hydrogen, Toyota Mirai can give a range of up to 640 km in a full tank. The company has brought this car to India as a pilot project for hydrogen cars. It is believed that the cost of running a km from this comes to only one rupee.
Toyota Mirai is termed a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). It contains a hydrogen tank, and when oxygen and hydrogen taken from the atmosphere react there, electricity is produced as a result.
“For FCEVs, we will pursue mass production centered on commercial vehicles,” said Hiroki Nakajima, Toyota’s chief technology officer. “One feature of FCEVs is that the energy source, hydrogen, is lightweight so even when traveling longer distances the vehicle is not as heavy as a battery EV, and less space is required. Refueling is also much quicker. Taking advantage of these strengths, we will work with business operators to promote FCEVs by starting with commercial vehicles such as medium to heavy-duty trucks.”
The Technicalities
The electric motor has a power output of 182 horsepower and a max torque of 300 Nm. The automobile can go from 0-100 Kmph in 9.2 seconds thanks to its electric powertrain.
On the Toyota New Global Architecture platform, Mirai was created. It is a 4.9 m long car in the coupe design. It has a 12.3-inch touchscreen interface and 20-inch wheels. Other amenities include a color head-up display, a panoramic sunroof, a digital rear-view mirror, a wireless charger, heated and ventilated seats, and Toyota Teammate driving aid software.
