Toyota unveils to Asian media Mirai, its first mass-produced fuel-cell vehicle

This is how the future of motoring will go down: not as a gooey oil slick that will suffocate every living thing on this planet, but as clean, clear droplets of water from a tailpipe, contributing life to a vibrant ecosystem.

 

And it’s going to make erstwhile squeaky clean Uncle Prius green with envy.

 

The all-new Mirai hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle will be launched in this city on Dec. 15, and will be sold through Toyota and Toyopet dealers. The initial sales target is set at about 400 units in Japan by end-2015, while sales in the United States and Europe commences by the second half of 2015.

 

Mirai (which means “the future” in Japanese) will be built in the Toyota Motor Corp.’s Motomachi Plant in the Aichi Prefecture, where the Lexus LFA super cars were produced.

 

The sales targets for Mirai are extremely modest by mainstream standards, representing a mere drop in the ocean of Toyota automobiles. But this small droplet may mean the world for the planet’s biggest automaker.

 

Some may call the Mirai the “follow-up” to the success of the first mass produced hybrid vehicle Prius 17 years after the latter was introduced. In a way, it is, in the sense that it follows the spirit of Prius’ creation. But in many ways, the Mirai represents a complete reboot of sustainable motoring—beginning with the mass production of the next-generation green car.

 

About 40 members of the motoring media from Asia were flown in to this city to “experience” the fuel-cell vehicle (FCV) technology, as part of Toyota’s safety technology media campaign blitz. Over 60 vehicles, ranging from super compact electric vehicle, hybrid cars, sedans, vans, to SUVs were tested at the Odaiba car park.

 

Design cues and styles

 

A new design technique has been used to emphasize the left and right grilles that draw in air for the oxygen supply and for the FC cooling system. The novel front face underscores the vehicle’s individuality. The elegant side profile evokes the flowing shape of a droplet of water to express the vehicle’s characteristic of drawing in air and emitting only water. The roof-side rails and hood appear to pop out of the body to create the impression of a low-crouching vehicle, while communicating a futuristic feeling. Mirai’s rear presents a bold profile, with the trapezoidal shape extending from the license plate garnish to the bottom of the bumper corners and out toward the wheels, while the top of the bumper emphasizes width and expresses a powerfully stable stance. It also creates an agile and clean impression of air passing through and under the bumper.

 

The headlights exhibit high-tech and sophisticated luxury via a novel design that presents an ultra-thin profile with an inline arrangement of four LED lights, plus visible heat sinks and other optical equipment. The front turn signals and clearance lights are separate from the headlights, contributing to an ultra-thin headlight profile at the same time as merging with the side grilles. This creates an advanced clean design with aerodynamics that improve airflow.

 

The Mirai comes with 17-inch aluminum wheels that have been made lighter using an engraving process.

 

Mirai 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. TFCS is more energy-efficient than internal combustion engines, and emits no carbon dioxide or substances of concern (SOCs) when driven. Drivers can also expect the same level of convenience as offered by gasoline engine vehicles, with a generous cruising range and a hydrogen refueling time of about three minutes.

 

Mirai uses hydrogen—the most abundant element in the universe—as fuel to generate electricity. Toyota engineers explained that hydrogen can be generated using a wide range of natural resources and manmade byproducts such as sewage sludge. It can also be created from water using natural renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.

 

When compressed, hydrogen has a higher energy density than batteries, and is relatively easy to store and transport. Therefore, hydrogen also carries expectations for potential future use in power generation and a wide range of other applications.

 

FCVs are able to generate their own electricity from hydrogen, which means they can help make a future hydrogen-based society a reality, and are therefore expected to further contribute to accelerating energy diversification.

 

Some of the highlights of Mirai, as pointed out by Toyota engineers, are:

 

1.) Better energy efficiency than internal combustion engines with no emissions of carbon dioxide or SOCs when driving. It features TFCS—a fusion of fuel cell technology with hybrid technology

 

2.) It claims to have the same level of convenience as gasoline engine vehicles with a manufacturer-rated cruising range of 650 km and a hydrogen refueling time of about three minutes. According to Toyota, the 650-km range was based on the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s JC08 test cycle.

 

3.) The system uses Toyota-developed components, including the Toyota FC Stack, FC boost converter and high-pressure hydrogen tanks.

 

4.) Safe and secure vehicle design with comprehensive range of safety features. Mirai was designed with safety as a top priority, based on the basic approach of ensuring that hydrogen does not leak, and in the unlikely event that any leaks do occur, ensuring immediate detection and stoppage of hydrogen flow and preventing accumulation of hydrogen within the car body.