New Toyota Mirai FCV launches in Japan tomorrow with European sales Next Year
Toyota’s future looks bright as it launches a new car called the ‘Mirai’. This is the official name for the firm’s new hydrogen cell vehicle and is a competitor Honda’s four-door saloon, FCX Clarity. Having completed millions of track miles and an impressive 10 years of road testing in all types of weather, the Mirai is finally production ready. The FCX Clarity appeared on roads in California over five years ago, but it was held back from a full launch because of the lack of fuelling infrastructure.
The situation has improved now as hydrogen filling stations increase, particularly in the UK. This is the best time for both manufacturers to have production-ready models in their line-ups. Toyota is launching the Mirai in Japan tomorrow before it goes on sale there in April. The car will then make its debut in Europe and the US towards the middle of next year.
Toyota has confirmed the Mirai can manage 300 miles on one tank of hydrogen, and can be refuelled in as little as five minutes. The only emission from hydrogen propulsion is water vapour.
Power output is said to be 135bhp which is almost the same to Honda’s FCX and comparable to a regular family saloon. Prices in Japan are expected start at around £45,000, but Toyota is waiting to hear if the UK Government will provide similar cash subsidies to electric cars before confirming how much the newcomer will cost here.
