Toyota Mirai

The Mirai first appeared publicly in Europe at the Geneva Motor Show, despite having been on sale since December in Japan. It's a new breed of cars, the FCVs (Fuel Cell Vehicles).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC-D1SENsF0

All vehicles will be manufactured at the Motomachi plant in Japan.

To be launched in September 2015 in the UK, Germany and Denmark, Toyota expects to shift 50-100 cars per year in the first 2 years. In 2007, we can expect to see the Mirai in even more countries. In Germany, for example, the Mirai will cost in the region of €66,000 (roughly £48,500) excluding tax.

In Japan, the Mirai is sold for ¥6,700,000 (≈£38,000) with a government subsidy of ¥2,000,000 (≈£11,000).

Its design hasn't changed much from the concept vehicle, either.

Hydrogen is used to generate electricity, and as a result, no CO2 or other harmful pollutants are emitted, just water vapour. Refilling the FCV should take 3 minutes, although according to Toyota, this can vary depending on the pressure at which the hydrogen is stored and the ambient temperature. This resource-of-the-future can be generated from man-made b-products such as sewage sludge. It can also be generated from those renewable resources we always hear about, solar and wind power.

Producing 153 bhp (114 kW), it certainly won't be slow. Ok, it's not the next F1 champion, but neither is it a snail. The high-pressure hydrogen tanks (of which there are 2) have a three-layer carbon fibre-reinforced plastic structure, and as I said, they're high pressure. The hydrogen is stored at approximately 700 bar. That's 700 times the average sea-level pressure. These tanks have a combined volume of 122.4 litres - a 60-litre tank at the front and a 62.4-litre tank at the rear of the vehicle.

The tanks, as well as other hydrogen-related parts, are all located outside the occupant cabin, so in the event of a leak, you will be safe. Safety comes in the form of a Pre-Collision system, a Lane Departure Alert system, Drive-start Control for a smooth ride, and a blind spot monitor.

LED headlights are kept away from the indicators which merge with the side grilles to give the impression of narrow, futuristic headlights.

At 1,850 kg with a full tank and no occupants or cargo, the Mirai is 30 kg heavier than the Audi Q5 (2.0-litre TDI quattro S tronic). That's heavy! Its length is 4,890 mm, it's 25 mm shorter than Audi's large executive car, the A6 Saloon. It's a whole 59 mm narrower at 1,815 mm, and 80 mm taller!

Four seats inside as opposed to five mean it's a specious interior with plenty of room. A speedometer is accompanied by a 4.2-inch HD TFT display which provides the driver with information.

The climate control panel uses electrostatic switches, so a light tap is enough to activate ventilation as well as heated seats. A steering wheel heater and two-stage heated seats are standard, and dual-zone climate control helps prevent the occupants falling out.