Toyota is stepping on the gas with its new and slimmer second-generation Mirai – and cutting its price by 20 percent to encourage a ten-fold increase in sales.
The Mirai is the hydrogen-powered electric fuel cell car from the Japanese auto giant, which not only offers environmentally friendly, emission-free driving, but also cleans and purifies the air while driving.
With the government planning to ban all gasoline and electric cars by 2030 and hybrids by 2035, many experts believe hydrogen fuel cells that produce electricity – like a mini-power station on wheels – are a better longer-term option for electric vehicles that charge and recharge batteries charged from the network.
Toyota steps on the gas with the new Mirai: This is the new hydrogen fuel cell car from the Japanese company that was unveiled today
Introduced five years ago, the first generation Mirai model costs £ 66,000 or a monthly financing payment of £ 750.
With the 20 percent cut indicated, the new version is likely to drop by around £ 13,200 – the price of a small hatchback – to £ 52,800.
However, if the Japanese maker can keep the UK price a fraction below £ 50,000, buyers will receive a government plug-in grant of £ 3,000, bringing the cost down to £ 47,000.
Toyota is being hailed as the reborn Mirai and will go on sale next year. He hopes that a sleek new look, a new platform chassis, an improved leaner and more efficient fuel cell system, a price cut by a fifth, and an increase in range will all help his ambitions to achieve a ten-fold increase in Mirai sales – both worldwide and in the UK and the rest of Europe.
This would increase worldwide sales from around 3,000 to 30,000 per year.
One of the biggest announcements for the second generation Mirai is that the price will be significantly reduced from the original model
Introduced 5 years ago, the first generation Mirai family sedan cost £ 66,000. Toyota has promised to cut that number by about 20% for the next one expected in its UK showroom next year
The new look has been improved and fuel consumption has been reduced by 10%, increasing the range by 30% compared to the previous generation car
While many believe that hydrogen is the future fueling vehicle for our passenger cars, the high asking price and limited availability of cars have resulted in extremely limited demand since it hit showrooms in 2015.
Total sales in Europe since launch five years ago are around 800, of which only 158 have been sold in the UK.
Toyota will hope that a reduced asking price – and lots of eco references – will change fortunes.
The hydrogen fuel cell in the new Mira generates enough electrical power – equivalent to 174 hp (128 kW) – to bring you from rest to 100 km / h in 9.2 seconds and up to a top speed of 108.5 km / h .
It also has a range of 403 miles – far more than most, but not all, electric cars – you can find out here which electric models currently sold in the UK have the longest claimed driving distances when fully charged.
And while charging the batteries of a conventional electric car can take anywhere from half an hour to several hours – depending on how fast the charger is – a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle can be refilled in around five minutes.
There are many supporters who believe that hydrogen is the future way of fueling our passenger cars
The new Mirai has three hydrogen tanks compared to two in the outgoing model – a 20% increase in storage capacity
The high asking price and limited availability of the first generation Mirai resulted in extremely limited demand as it hit the showroom in 2015. Toyota hopes a lower asking price will fix this for the car in 2021
Mirai’s total sales in Europe since launch five years ago are around 800, of which only 158 have been sold in the UK
In the film, think of a fuel cell like a real De Lorean flux capacitor power source Back to the Future – except that it doesn’t push you back and forth through time.
Here is the science.
A fuel cell car like the Toyota Mirai doesn’t burn hydrogen like gasoline in an engine.
Instead, hydrogen stored in the high-pressure fuel tank is used in a chemical reaction called reverse electrolysis that takes place on a micro-thin membrane in the fuel cell.
Expansion of the market for hydrogen fuel cells
Other hydrogen fuel cell cars are Hyundai’s Nexo and Honda’s Clarity. The British start-up Riversimple uses hydrogen, which is also being studied by BMW and Daimler.
Some commercial vehicles, including buses, fleets of vans, and police cars, use fuel cells.
British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe this month signed a contract with Korean company Hyundai to develop a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell version of its Ineos Grenadier 4X4.
He can also supply the hydrogen from his refineries to fuel his and other manufacturers. “Fuel cell vehicles.
Hyundai’s Nexo hydrogen fuel cell SUV
Refueling your car can be a problem as we are still a long way from having a comprehensive “hydrogen highway” with sufficient filling stations.
UK company ITM Power is building a national network of hydrogen filling stations, including Teddington, South West London, Cobham on the M25 in Surrey, Beaconsfield on the M40, Sheffield, Swindon, Slough, Gatwick, Birmingham and Aberdeen.
A five-minute full tank of fuel takes you from London to Sheffield and back.
Security is another concern. Despite fears of being lighter than air, but highly explosive hydrogen that lifted the unfortunate Hindenburg airship, which exploded in flames, supporters insist that it is safer than gasoline because it does not “pool” when spilled.
Toyota said of the new Mirai, “Our intention is not only to improve the product, make the product much more attractive, but also to increase its production capacity tenfold.”
The membrane acts as a catalyst for a reaction between the hydrogen (H) fuel and oxygen (O) in the air.
This creates electricity that powers the electric motors and charges the battery. Water – or H2O, made from the combined hydrogen and oxygen atoms – comes out of the exhaust pipe and is so pure you can even drink it.
The Mirai’s chief engineer, Yoshikazu Tanaka, said, “Hydrogen is the most abundant substance on earth. Compared to electricity, it is also storable and transportable. Other renewable energies like wind or solar energy depend on the season or time. “
The fuel cells can also be used in commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks, as well as to power planes and homes, to create a so-called “hydrogen society”.
Mr. Tanaka said, “Fuel cells also allow quick refueling and long range. This is a reality now, and when it comes to cars, there is no better source of energy. We’ve designed everything on the new Mirai from scratch. “
The new Mirai has three hydrogen tanks compared to two in the outgoing model – a 20 percent increase in storage capacity.
This has contributed to increasing fuel consumption by 10 percent and increasing range by 30 percent.
The new Mirai also has a more compact and efficient hydrogen fuel cell structure.
The 24-liter fuel cell stack with 330 cells generates 128 kW of electricity.
This is comparable to the outgoing model with a 33 liter stack with 370 cells with an output of 114 kW.
The smaller powerplant also means Toyota engineers were able to move it from back to front for better design, weight distribution and balance.
It’s 65mm lower with a slightly longer wheelbase and more dynamic stance.
The Mirai’s deputy chief engineer, Ryotaro Shimizu, said great efforts had been made to ensure that the new chassis platform had improved design, comfort and better driving dynamics so that it was “fun” to drive. Indeed, a real gas.
According to Toyota, the total system output of the new Mirai has increased by almost 20 percent from 113 kW to 134 kW, which makes it a smooth and exciting drive: “Thanks to the large motor, you get a very good kick when you accelerate. “
The weight distribution of the vehicle from the front to the rear axle is almost 50/50. The low and very centralized center of gravity – supported by a rigid body structure – aims at good driving performance.
Thanks to the fuel stack moving forward, making air and hydrogen pumps and other elements quieter, the silence is also golden. Toyota added, “As a fuel cell vehicle, it is very quiet, much more so than the current generation. “
So quiet, in fact, that Toyota had to add artificial sounds to the new Mirai: “Since this is a quiet car, we added a sound system called“ Active Sound Creator ”with two different sounds.
“There is a small button on the driver’s seat side that is activated according to your axle power.”
The hydrogen fuel cell in the new Mira generates enough electrical power – equivalent to 174 hp (128 kW) – to bring you from rest to 100 km / h in 9.2 seconds and up to a top speed of 108.5 km / h
New Mirai has a range of 403 miles – far more than most, but not all, electric cars – here you can find out which electric models currently sold in the UK have the longest-haul driving distances when fully charged
A special measuring device moves as the driver steps on the accelerator and measures how much clean air is being filtered by the car
Hydrogen fuel cell technology fans hope Toyota UK will bring the Mirai below £ 50,000. This will provide the taxpayer-funded Plug-in Car Grant which will save an additional £ 3,000 in up-front costs
People who drive the Mirai also exit the air filter than before. The company said, “The Mirai breathes in a lot of air that goes through a high-performance air filter.” So the air that comes out of the exhaust is much cleaner than what it breathes.
“Of course, this car does not produce any CO2. But while it’s running, it also purifies the atmosphere.
“It’s not just an emission-free car. We call it a low-emission car. “
Electrically charged filters remove pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides (NOx) and particles.
A special measuring device moves as the driver steps on the accelerator and measures how much clean air is being filtered by the car.
It showed a car that had already “cleaned” a total of 728,000 liters of air – that is the amount of air that 40 people breathe each year. Toyota said, “The longer you drive, the more you clean the air. The more people that are counted on this screen.”
New Toyota Mirai: will it fit in my garage?
On offer: 2021
Price: approx £ 53,000 (20 percent cheaper than first generation)
Length: 4.975 mm
Width: 1.885 mm
Height: 1,480 mm
Wheelbase: 2,920 mm
Gross weight: 2.414 kg
Drive: electric, with hydrogen fuel cell
Maximum force: 174 horsepower / 128 kW
Top speed: 108.5 km / h
O-62mph: 9.2 seconds
Range: 650 km
Journey: Rear wheel drive
Fuel cell stack:
Type: polymer electrolyte
Number of cells in the fuel cell: 330
Hydrogen tank capacity: 5.6 kg / 142.2 liters
E.Missions: Zero plus pure water.
Battery: Lithium-ion 84 cells
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