Driving with hydrogen — Toyota Mirai offers an electrifying ride



EPA Estimated 402 miles range
rating on XLE grade Mirai

    
(January 26, 2024) PLANO, Texas — With its innovative engineering, sleek design and luxury interior loaded with advanced technology for an interactive drive, the 2024 Toyota Mirai consistently delivers an exciting ride. In its second generation, the Mirai provides an electrifying excitement, dynamic driving performance and has an EPA-estimated range rating of 402 miles on the XLE grade.


For 2024, the Mirai has added a few new upgrades that are sure to turn heads. A new Elemental Silver exterior color will now be available across grades. Mirai will also sport new Beyond Zero badging, highlighting Toyota’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions to move toward a carbon neutral future.Designed to help protect drivers and their passengers, the Mirai will now come with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0.

In essence, the Mirai is a “plug-less” electric vehicle. Instead of having to charge a battery in a BEV which can take several hours, the Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) driver simply fills the tank with hydrogen, just as millions of drivers do every day with gas vehicles. With an FCEV, the fuel is non-toxic, compressed hydrogen gas rather than liquid gasoline.



An FCEV generates its own electricity onboard from hydrogen, with water as the only emission. A fuel cell system combines stored hydrogen with oxygen from the air, and a chemical reaction that produces electric current, and water, which drops out of a hidden vent pipe beneath the car.

Electricity generated by the Mirai’s fuel cell and the regenerative braking system is stored in a lithium-ion battery. Pressing the accelerator pedal yields immediate flow of electric power from the fuel cell and/or battery to the rear-mounted AC synchronous electric motor, which drives the rear wheels. An electric air compressor pressurizes the intake air, and a water-cooled intercooler reduces the temperature of the compressed air before it enters the fuel cell stack. A water-cooled oil cooler integrated with the air compressor helps maximize efficiency.

The intake system is designed to mitigate noise, which is virtually unnoticeable to occupants. By necessity, the intake air for the fuel cell must be purified. And so, an electrostatic air cleaner element captures ultra-fine particles (Particulate Matter 2.5), and a charcoal filter removes chemical substances.

The 2024 Toyota Mirai will include up to $15,000 of complimentary hydrogen with a purchase or lease.

Fuel cell technology pre-dates the automobile by half a century. In 1838, a Welsh physicist combined hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of an electrolyte and produced an electric current, though not enough to be useful. By the 1960s, the technology was being used in America’s Gemini and Apollo spacecraft, where it provided crews with both electricity and water from stored hydrogen and oxygen.

Fuel cells had been studied for the automotive sector, but the technology only recently became practical and cost-effective. Toyota began its fuel cell development around the same time as the original Prius, and the Mirai shares technology from the company’s hybrid program.

Toyota developed the solid-polymer electrolyte fuel cells used in the first- and second-generation Mirai models. To help foster FCEV proliferation, the company has released over 5,000 of its patents, royalty-free.

It is a scalable technology that can be made small enough to power a phone or large enough to power a building, or anything in between. For example, Toyota installed fuel cell powertrains in a fleet of class-8 semi-trucks that are rated for a maximum 80,000-pound load. These big rigs have been used for moving freight in and around the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.

Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of domestic resources. The goal of the Hydrogen Council, for which Toyota is a founding member, is to use decarbonized hydrogen for transportation such as that produced from bio-resources or renewable electricity via electrolysis.

The Mirai is built on the premium Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) GA-L platform, creating a mid-size luxury-sport sedan. The RWD configuration helps support an engaging driving experience that also allows for an additional hydrogen fuel tank over the first-generation car.

The high-strength GA-L platform with sophisticated multilink suspension provides the foundation for superb handling agility and an exceptionally smooth, quiet ride. Laser screw welding and adhesive structure bonding, proven on many other Toyota and Lexus models, are among the construction techniques used to give the Mirai a truly premium feel on the road.

Active Cornering Assist engages the stability control to reduce understeer in certain cornering situations. Hill Start Assist Control, standard for both grades, allows smooth, safe takeoffs from stops on hills.