The hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai is in the news once again. The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways in India Nitin Gadkari arrived to the Parliament today in a Toyota Mirai, just a few days after he unveiled the hydrogen-fueled car in India as a pilot project. This is certainly bringing lots of attention to the Toyota Mirai.
The world is going bonkers over environment-friendly cars and electric cars continue to dominate the charts when it comes to the list of alternatives for internal combustion-powered vehicles. However, there are a few brands that seem to have placed their bets on hydrogen-powered cars as the vehicles of the future. Toyota is the largest of them.
Toyota has been quite clear about its stance on green mobility. While the Japanese auto giant has the technology to make pure electric vehicles mainstream, it simply refuses to do so. Toyota instead is betting on hybrids and hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Kicking off hydrogen-powered mobility in India though is more complicated than it looks.
Toyota, therefore, has taken a more radical approach to launch hydrogen vehicles in India. The first hydrogen car that Toyota is bringing in is the Mirai. It is a sedan that is on par with the Camry in Toyota’s international lineup when it comes to the segments. It is also one among the few tried and tested hydrogen-powered cars in the world, clocking millions of kilometres in the real world.
Toyota, instead of launching it commercially in India, seems like it wants to first convince the highest road transport authority in the country of the usefulness of such a vehicle. In a pilot project, Toyota it seems has handed over a couple of Mirai hydrogen sedans to Nitin Gadkari for his official use.
Earlier this week, the Union Minister was spotted taking a ride in a Blue Toyota Mirai and now, images and videos of him arriving to the Parliament in a White Toyota Mirai have surfaced. From all the visuals that have surfaced until now, it is quite obvious that he seems quite impressed with the vehicle.
In fact, there is quite a lot to be impressed about when it comes to the Mirai. It is India’s first fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Electricity is produced using oxygen from the atmosphere and hydrogen from the vehicle’s fuel tank. The hydrogen molecules are split into protons and electrons and these electrons create electricity.
The generated electricity is then used to power the electric motor onboard the vehicle. This is an emission-free process and the only byproduct is water and heat. The Toyota Mirai has a range of around 646 kilometres which is fantastic. Refilling the hydroge fuel tank doesn’t take more than 4-5 minutes, which should allow you to use it just like a petrol or diesel-powered car.
The battery that is used for the short-term storage of electricity is a lot smaller than the ones used in pure electric cars, which is again a win for the Mirai. When all this is put together, the Toyota Mirai and other FCEV cars like it make for a compelling case. However, the distribution and storage of Hydrogen for mobility is very rare in India and hence, using an FCEV in the country would be a challenge.
It could be that, Toyota is trying to convince the government to increase the production and distribution of Hydrogen in India. Hence, the pilot project involves Nitin Gadkari himself.
Thoughts On Nitin Gadkari Using A Toyota Mirai Hydrogen Vehicle
There are many advantages that a hydrogen vehicle like the Mirai has, when compared to pure electric cars. This includes reduced range anxiety, greater usability, and practicality, etc. However, the availability of Hydrogen is the major challenge here and Toyota seems to be trying to convince the government to increase the availability of the gas.
If the government sees the true potential of hydrogen-powered cars and invests heavily in the infrastructure required for them, pure electric vehicles might just see the beginning of the end.
Keyword: Nitin Gadkari In A Hydrogen-Powered Toyota Mirai FCEV: Toyota’s Attempt To Convince The Government?