The Toyota Mirai Brings the Future to Your Driveway

Unveiled in 2014 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Toyota Mirai plans to take the auto industry by storm as the first commercially available electric fuel cell automobile. The Mirai brings the future to your driveway in 2015, with a stylish and dynamic appearance for a vehicle hoped to be as much of a breakthrough in automotive science and industry as the Toyota Prius Hybrid, according to Green Car Reports. At a price of about $57,000, the Mirai may overcome initial scepticism with its 300 mile range.

Bob Carter, Toyota motor sales head of operations, told the Detroit News that the Mirai fuel cell car could equal the impact had by the Prius. There was a lot of doubt about whether green car technology could be competitive with older designs, and the Prius shows it can. But the Mirai is the first time that a completely hydrogen powered fuel cell electric engine will run a consumer automobile on our highways. It remains to be seen how the public will ultimately react.

Toyota is presently the largest auto maker on the planet. They are on the cutting edge of green-vehicle technology, even though they stand to lose a great deal of money being the first one out of the gate on hydrogen fuel cell automobiles. However, it seems worth the risk as the car performs competitively with gasoline and diesel powered machines. It also claims distinction as a truly fashionable, attractive car and neatly solves many problems with greenhouse gas emissions.

With a wheel base of about 109 inches and a motor delivering approximately 150 hp, the Mirai (which is a Japanese word for "future") makes a great deal of sense as an urban dwellers fondest dream. It can cruise handily at traffic speeds, and has a curb weight of 1,850 kg. The Mirai uses copious technology from Toyota's hybrid cars as well, using regenerative braking to run on battery power at low speeds and in traffic, and hydrogen fuel cell power for longer, higher speed travel.

The Mirai has an output power density of 3.0 kW/L; two times as high as its previous concept car, the Toyota FCHV-adv. It is also much smaller, much more modern in style, and friendlier to the user. It represents a four-door design sedan and has a front wheel drive and front engine layout.

A significant problem the auto maker faces is the generation of fueling stations for the car, and hopes popular commentary will make fueling up reliable. The Mirai accelerates from 0 to 60 in nine seconds, and has been rigorously tested on American roads with American climate conditions. The concept has logged more than a million miles of road testing, and has traveled Death Valley in the Summer and Alaska in the Winter without fouling up. The carbon stack high pressure fuel cells have proven to be safe in crash testing.

As the Toyota.com website shows you, new ideas have always faced opposition. Every great breakthrough in travel technology has broken through walls of doubt, and it looks like the Toyota Mirai will do the same.

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