Toyota’s Mirai sparks Earth-friendly discussions about its merits

From out of the blue, a whiff of the future at Toyota Mega Web

MANILA, Philippines–At the Toyota Technology tour in Tokyo, Japan, the week before Typhoon “Ruby” gave the Philippines (and the world) another reminder that climate change has, indeed, staked its claim on this vulnerable part of the Earth, select motoring journalists were given an up-close look at fuel cell vehicle (FCV) Mirai, which took one of the world’s most powerful automakers 20 years to conceptualize, develop and make.

Unintended or otherwise, Mirai’s entry into the alternative universe of nonfossil-fuel combustion engines sparked another discussion on the merits of FCVs, electric vehicles, hybrids, and even the use of biofuels.

Understandably, comparisons had to be made between Mirai and the other alternative-fuel vehicles.

“The (Nissan) Leaf’s driving range is 200 kilometers, its charging time eight hours. And if you use a rapid charging system, it takes up to 40 minutes to charge. The Mirai takes only three minutes to fill up with hydrogen. So, on the part of Toyota, we think electric vehicles (EVs) will be useful as part of a short-distance commuting system wherein these EVs can be recharged at night at home and during day time, then run for short distances. That’s the best way of using EVs. Toyota does use EVs for personal mobility and short-distance commuting,” quipped Yoshikazu Tanaka, Toyota Motor Corp.’s deputy chief engineer who has headed the automaker’s various R&D units since 1987.

Toyota also defended its use of hydrogen with Mirai. As an FCV, Mirai burns hydrogen—among the most abundant elements in the universe—to generate electricity. Toyota engineers explained that hydrogen could be easily produced via a wide range of natural resources and man-made by-products such as sewage sludge. It can also be extracted from water (remember, there are two parts of hydrogen for every H2O molecule) using unlimited energy sources like solar and wind power.

Mirai specifically uses the Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), which features both fuel cell and hybrid technologies, and includes Toyota’s new proprietary FC Stack and high-pressure hydrogen tanks. As TFCS uses only hydrogen and electricity to power the Mirai, it emits no carbon dioxide or substances of concern (SOCs).

Drivers can also expect the same level of convenience as offered by gasoline engine vehicles, with a generous cruising range of between 650 and 700 km for every three-minute refuel.

This writer voiced her concern that unlike EVs or plug-in hybrids, Mirai owners won’t be legally allowed to maintain their own hydrogen refueling systems at home, and that could be a disadvantage on the part of Mirai owners.

Tanaka agreed, but quickly explained that Mirai’s long driving range more than make up for that limitation. “In Tokyo, the number of hydrogen refilling stations isn’t that large, but then we don’t really need so many refilling stations if your real-world driving range is more than 1,000 km for every three refueling trips.”

Akihabara News of Japan said Toyota assumes that 40 charging stations could be enough to cover FCV users living in Tokyo’s 23 wards, or municipalities, that make up the core and the most populous part of the megacity.

With the government’s support and close coordination with local communities, infrastructure improvements are being planned, with focus on Japan’s four biggest cities.

Tanaka explains that Toyota looks at the importance of strategic positioning of refueling stations (such as in malls) for the convenience of FCV owners, over absolute numbers.

But what about fuel prices, specifically the price of hydrogen versus gasoline?

Tanaka revealed that hydrogen in the United States costs approximately $10 (or about P450) per kilo. Gasoline, on the other hand, costs $3.50 per gallon. “One kilo of hydrogen is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline in terms of energy value,” Tanaka said.

On a per quantity basis, hydrogen does cost more, but Tanaka explained that the Mirai FCV is 1.7 times more fuel-efficient than hybrids.

“If the cost of hydrogen in the United States comes down to $5 per kilo for FCV refueling, the fuel cost of FCVs will be about the same as that of hybrid vehicles,” Tanaka estimated.

Tanaka also disclosed the different characteristics (strengths and weaknesses) of alternative fuels.

In well-to-wheel CO2 emissions, EVs, hydrogen fuel cells and biofuel-powered vehicles (which use internal combustion engines) use fuels with poor to excellent CO2 emission ratings, while vehicles running on natural gas (internal combustion engines) use fuels with good CO2 emission ratings.

In terms of supply volume, EVs and hydrogen FCVs are both excellent, the biofuel vehicles poor, and natural gas vehicles good.

In terms of cruising range, EVs rate poorly, while hydrogen FCVs and biofuel-powered vehicles rate both excellent, and natural gas-powered vehicles rate good.

In fuel charging time, EVs rate poorly while hydrogen FCVs, biofuel and natural gas are all excellent.

In terms of dedicated infrastructure, EVs and natural gas both rate good, hydrogen FCVs are poor, and biofuels excellent.

Hydrogen’s other advantages are:

— Zero CO2 emissions during use, helping support a low-carbon society;

— Hydrogen has a greater energy density than batteries, and is easy to transport and store. It can be used to resolve uneven distribution of regional energy, and to compensate for fluctuations in supply from renewable energy sources; and

— Hydrogen can also be used for a wide range of purposes, from home use to automobile fuels and power generation.

Tanaka said “hydrogen will be a leading energy source of the future.”

Will Mirai herald the world into a new hydrogen age? That question can only be answered beyond 2015.