The Toyota Mirai recently grabbed headlines as it ferried Mr Nitin Gadkari (Minister of Road, Transport and Highways) to the parliament.
This particular model is part of the pilot project conducted by the iCAT (International Centre for Automotive Technology) to study the viability of fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) in India. As such, here’s everything you need to know about the Toyota Mirai FCEV.
Speaking about Toyota Mirai FCEV, the first concept car was unveiled more than a decade ago at the Tokyo Motor Show as the Toyota FCV-R where the model bagged a very positive response from the public. A few years later, the first-generation Toyota Mirai FCEV was produced, and this model stayed in production from 2014 to 2020.
Furthermore, this first-gen Toyota Mirai FCEV was powered by a 152bhp electric motor with 335Nm of torque. Moreover, the fuel (Hydrogen) was stored in not one but two hydrogen tanks with a total capacity of 122 litres. This setup along with the 1.6kWh battery pack gave the first-gen Toyota Mirai FCEV a very respectable range of 502kms under the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) cycle. Also, this model produced water as a byproduct at a rate of 240ml per every 4kms.
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However, the Toyota Mirai FCEV model that is currently being tested in India is the much-improved second-gen model. Moreover, unlike the first-gen Toyota Mirai FCEV, the current generation Toyota Mirai FCEV is a rear-wheel drive car and as a matter of act, a lot more luxurious as well.
Powering the new second-gen Toyota Mirai FCEV is a more powerful 182bhp electric motor with 300Nm of torque. On top of that, the new second-gen Toyota Mirai FCEV now sports not 2 but 3 hydrogen tanks for a combined 141 litres of hydrogen storage capacity. This setup enables the second-gen Toyota Mirai FCEV to cover a total of 647 km under the EPA cycle. Also, the second-generation Toyota Mirai scored a 5-Star safety rating at the Euro-NCAP crash test.
Thoughts About Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle
Unlike battery-powered cars like Tesla, fuel cell electric vehicles can be refuelled just like conventional vehicles by filling up hydrogen into the tank instead of fossil fuels like petrol or diesel. Moreover, the FCEVs generate their own electricity which is a major advantage considering almost 51 per cent of electricity produced in India is through coal.
Keyword: Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) – All You Need To Know