If finishing a 24-hour endurance race wasn’t enough, Toyota continues to prove the merits of hydrogen as the fuel of the future by taking a bone-stock Mirai and driving it 1,003 kilometers. In the process, it broke a world record.
Unlike the Corolla H2 Concept which burned hydrogen as a fuel, the Mirai is a fuel-cell vehicle. Fuel cell vehicles or FCVs generate electricity using the oxygen in the air and compressed hydrogen stored in a tank. The hydrogen fuel cell functions like a battery, producing electricity, which can run an electric motor. Instead of requiring recharging, however, the fuel cell can be refilled with hydrogen.
Normally, the Mirai can go up to 650 kilometers on a full tank of hydrogen, but in the case of these eco-minded drivers, they managed to squeeze out 100 kilometers of range per 0.55 kilograms of hydrogen resulting in the 1,003-kilometer figure.
Better still, compared to EVs, refueling the Mirai took less than 5 minutes for the trip back home.
The Mirai, and Toyota’s continued work on hydrogen as a fuel is meant to start a conversation that EVs isn’t a one size fits all solution. Ultimately, the goal must be that of carbon neutrality with zero emissions, while providing vehicles with extended range and ease of charging. With hydrogen, Toyota believes it’s a credible and abundant resource to store energy compared to the EVs which require the mining of potentially toxic heavy metals.
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