Toyota showed the first glimpse of the new hydrogen flagship at the recent Tokyo Motor Show. The second generation of the Toyota Mirai is now showing up again and will immediately have an introduction date: early 2021.
The first generation of the Toyota Mirai with 10,000 copies is not yet a huge success. The fuel cell car may have a slightly too Japanese design for the average European. The second model gets a much less controversial appearance, which we dare to describe at first sight as ' beautiful '.
Fuel cell
Of course there is still a giant grille in front of the car. That is not, as with BMW or previously with Peugeot, a design consideration, but also functional. After all, a fuel cell needs air, the oxygen has to react via a membrane with the hydrogen gas and thereby generate an electric current. That electric current then charges a battery, or directly feeds the electric motor into the rear axle of the Mirai.
The second version of the Mirai, which is Japanese for the future, has a 30% longer range according to Toyota than the first. The current Mirai came about 500 kilometers on a tank of hydrogen, so the next version should be more than 600 kilometers away. This is important because there are not many hydrogen filling stations yet. The number of stations is expected to increase from three to seventeen this year.
Further
The wider range of the second Mirai is the result of improvements in the fuel cell, which makes it more effective and efficient to make electricity from hydrogen. On the other hand, the increase is due to a larger hydrogen tank, or rather three tanks. In addition to the large tank, there are now also two smaller tanks, so that the car can transport 1 kilogram of compressed gas extra. That is an increase of one fifth, and provides a significant boost in the range.
Toyota expects to have the car out by early 2021.
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