The Toyota Mirai was unveiled by the global boss of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, at the Los Angeles motor show.
The grandson of the founder of the company said the Mirai was a “turning point” that “redefines the (car) industry”.
“Imagine a world filled with vehicles that diminish our dependence on oil and reduce harm to the environment,” said Akio Toyoda.
Unlike pure electric cars, the Mirai can be refueled in less than five minutes and travel 480 km on one tank, about the same as a regular car.
Toyota Mirai
“Hydrogen can be made from virtually anything, even garbage,” said Toyoda, who added that the Mirai’s on-board hydrogen system “creates enough electricity to power a house for about a week”.
Toyoda says the Mirai has “no compromises” but there is one significant hurdle. Hydrogen refueling stations are few and far between in the US, Japan and Europe – and there are none in Australia after an experiment with buses in West Australia was shut down seven years ago.
The Mirai will go on sale in the US for $57,500 – or on a $499 per month lease deal – but it is not coming to Thailand, at least for a few years, because there is nowhere to refuel it, so don’t enquire at your local Toyota dealer yet.
