One Path to the Future
The Toyota Mirai (means “future” in Japanese) is an unusual-looking midsize four-door sedan. It’s one of only three hydrogen-fuel-powered vehicles for sale in the United States. The other two are the Honda Clarity sedan and the new Hyundai Nexo crossover.
Hydrogen, the first element, is abundant in nature. It’s one of the two elements that make up water, after all. But when the atoms are split from the H2 in H2O into H1 pressurized gaseous fuel, they can be used in a high-tech device under a car hood to produce energy to power an electric motor and drive a 4,075-pound car.
The 2019 Toyota Mirai uses a fuel cell with a battery. You can view on a screen where the energy comes from and where it’s going as it switches back and forth between them. The electricity in the battery is also regenerated when you’re braking, slowing down or rolling downhill as in other electric vehicles. You can’t plug it in.
The Dream Fuel
Hydrogen seems like a dream fuel. The only byproduct is water, and there’s an H20 button on the dashboard that you can push to release the water. The energy downside is that producing hydrogen can be very energy intensive, so how “green” it is depends on how the fuel is made. Research is ongoing to find a way to do it sustainably.
I spent a week in a Nautical Blue 2019 example of the Mirai and drove around town and down the freeway; it behaved flawlessly. With a 0-60 acceleration of 9.0 seconds, it feels relatively quick, although it is not at all exciting to pilot a Mirai. It is very quiet, except for occasional buzzes and hums from the powerplant. Wind and road noise are subdued.
The interior is typical of a Camry or Avalon sedan, with padded doors and dash and sweeps of hard, shiny panels that undulate across your field of view. The central console is home to dozens of spots you can touch to manipulate the climate control, adjust the performance from normal to Eco or Power, or turn on the heated steering wheel, and so on.
The audio system works more traditionally, although the absence of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is disappointing. Toyota offers its Entune app, which provides a wealth of services if you own the car and have an account.
The Goal of Hydrogen
The goal of a hydrogen-powered car is to not use any fossil fuels at all, so maximum fuel economy may not be the top consideration. My tester carried an official EPA rating of 67 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent). However, some battery electric vehicles achieve much higher efficiency, such as the 132 MPGe of a Hyundai Kona Electric.
Living with a hydrogen fuel cell car has some sets of advantages and disadvantages. For example, the Mirai doesn’t use fossil fuels at all, but as discussed before, hydrogen can be environmentally costly to produce (and is most often derived from a fossil fuel—natural gas—much as is the case with electricity). The Mirai is roomy and comfortable—but only for four people—a tall armrest divides the rear passengers.
The official range of a Mirai is a laudable 312 miles, and you can fill up in just five minutes, unlike the longer charge times of a battery electric vehicle. But you need to be able to find fuel. There are fewer than 50 hydrogen stations in California (concentrated in urban, coastal areas, though with some designed to allow north-south trips through the state; more than 20 more stations are under development), so if you drive 312 miles north towards Oregon, you may not be able to fuel up for the trip home. There are two stations within a few miles of my Bay Area home, so I would probably do just fine.
Crunching the Numbers
The Mirai’s retail price is $59,430, including shipping, but you can lease one for just $389 a month for 36 months with $2,499 due at signing. And—this is the sweetener—Toyota provides up to $15,000 in free fuel! That makes it a very tempting proposition. California offers a $5,000 state rebate on the Mirai, but this is subject to change.
Is there a future for hydrogen vehicles? Possibly. In vehicle fleets, for example, it makes sense, especially if on-site fueling is available. But building out another infrastructure in addition to gasoline and EV charging stations sounds like a mammoth task (one that California has dedicated $20 million a year towards).
So, are you a pioneer?” Are you the one wearing yellow when everyone else is in gray? If so, the Mirai offers exclusivity along with Toyota virtues. Its performance is like its ubiquitous Camry cousin. But you need to go in with both eyes open to the limitations of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle now.
One exciting piece of news—the 2021 model, just unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, is gorgeous. Perhaps beauty will help entice a few more takers.
For much more information on fuel cell vehicles, including where to find the fueling stations, visit the California Fuel Cell Partnership’s website at https://cafcp.org/.
Related Stories You Might Enjoy—More Fuel Cell News & Reviews
Road Test: 2019 Toyota Mirai (a second opinion)
News: Toyota Mirai Passes 3,000 Sales in California
First Drive: 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Electric
Flash Drive/News: 2020 Hyundai Nexo FCEV
Road Test: 2019 Hyundai Nexo Fuel Cell (Steve’s view)
Road Test: 2019 Hyundai Nexo Fuel Cell (Gary’s view)
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