Here is an interesting test drive analysis of the second generation Toyota Mirai, a Japanese hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Its Japanese name means “Future”.
We are always very interested in the opinion of Autogefühl, which seems very positive about Mirai’s driving experience. The car is comfortable, quiet and very relaxing.
However, despite its more sporty appearance in the 2nd iteration (especially on the 20 “wheels), the Mirai is not particularly fast (0-100 km / h or 62 mph in 9.2 seconds). It is just” fast enough “, but far behind battery powered electric models.
The second weakest point seems to be the interior space. Autogefühl notes that there is not much room for tall people, both in front and behind, which is another contradiction. With this length of the car, we would expect more space. Is it because of the challenging layout of the hydrogen tank that may never allow the design freedom of the BEV’s flat skateboards?
Mirai’s range is about 650 km (400 miles) using 5.6 kg of hydrogen (compared to 4.6 kg in the previous generation). The refueling cost in Germany is estimated to be less than € 50 (about $ 60).
With that price of fuel, there’s not much room to save fuel. Compared to driving a conventional car. The value is similar. The starting price of the car is around € 63,900 (about $ 77,500), including 19% VAT. This is noticeably less than in the case of the 1st generation, but still a lot.
If we combine the high price without fuel economy and add no refueling infrastructure to it (gas stations are really rare), we don’t understand how this can be considered the future of cars.
There is no real advantage in range, price, acceleration / performance, interior space or many other factors compared to a modern battery-powered electric car.