The new Toyota Mirai has set an official Guinness World Records title for the longest distance covered by a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle without refuelling.
It covered an unprecedented 845 miles on a single, five-minute complete fill of hydrogen on a round trip in Southern California, establishing a new distance benchmark for zero-emission vehicles.
The official Mirai World Record attempt was monitored by Guinness World Records and adhered to its strict rules and documentation procedures. The Mirai logged an impressive 152mpge (miles-per-US gallon equivalent), with water its only emission. Guinness World Records adjudicator Michael Empric validated the car’s tank with a seal at the start and end of the journey.
The Mirai was driven by professional hyper-miler Wayne Gerdes and co-piloted by Bob Winger, using specialist driving techniques that maximised the car’s fuel efficiency potential, while respecting safety and the rules of the road. The two-day trip began on 23 August at the Toyota Technical Center (TTC) in Gardena, California, home of Toyota’s fuel cell development group. The duo travelled south to San Ysidro and then north to Santa Barbara, cruising through Santa Monica and Malibu beach along the Pacific Coast Highway. They returned to TTC that evening and logged 473 miles with only two driver swaps during the day.
The next day consisted of local driving loops, where they pushed through 372 miles of morning and afternoon rush hour traffic on the San Diego freeway until the fuel was used up. They coasted back into TTC with a total of 845 miles driven, as witnessed by Empric.
By the end of the trip, the Mirai consumed a total of 5.65kg of hydrogen and passed 12 hydrogen stations along the drive routes without refuelling. It was driven mainly during rush hour traffic in temperatures between 65 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit. It produced zero CO2, where a standard internal combustion engine vehicle would have emitted about 300kg of CO2 over the same distance.
This Mirai World Record achievement is the latest in a series of Mirai efficiency feats. In June this year, it broke through the 1,000km (600-mile) range barrier in an economy run during the Paris de l’hydrogène hydrogen energy exhibition in Paris. In 2018, the first generation Mirai became the first hydrogen-fuelled car to make the journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End in a marathon drive organised by Toyota and Autocar magazine.
Thats fantastic, its got to be the way forward, comparing it with electric. How far away are you from putting this in to production?
Hi Garry,
The Mirai is already in production.
You can view this here – https://www.toyota.co.uk/new-cars/mirai/
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Thanks.
How much will this car cost ?
Hi Mike,
The Mirai starts from £49,995.
You can view this here – https://www.toyota.co.uk/new-cars/mirai/
Thanks.
Will you be converting any current cars into hydrogen for example the auris? Or corolla or maybe even the supra?
Also will toyota be producing their own hydrogen to power their own cars, with only 11 stations in the UK we need alot more for this to be a success
Hi Seb,
Thank you for contacting us.
Currently, we do not have any information on converting current cars to hydrogen.
Furthermore, given that the hydrogen fuelling infrastructure in the UK is still in its early development phase, Toyota GB will continue to sell New Mirai direct to private, business and fleet customers.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Thanks.
What’s the warranty on a Taxi ? What are spares like? How many hydrogen refilling stations are there in Brighton UK?
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your interest in the Mirai.
Mirai warranty covers any defect that is attributable to a manufacturing or assembly fault under normal use for a period of 5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first, with no mileage limitation for the first year.
Furthermore, your closest Hydrogen Refilling Station is at Shell Gatwick.
Thanks.
The sooner the better kick electric cars into the long grass with Elon Musk. Make them more affordable and get the fuel set up safely into fuel stations.
Sounds great but what are the hidden costs and consequences. Is it safe to produce, is there a waste byproduct that needs to be disposed of and if so how will that happen? I like the sound of it, as electric is a non starter for me but would need to know all the facts.
Hi Pete,
Thank you for your interest in the Mirai.
We can assure you that the Mirai is safe to produce and Toyota considers the environmental impact of all its vehicles both when developing and producing them.
Furthermore, we also use materials featuring superior recyclability.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Thanks.
I like the Hydrogen approach, but two qns! 1) given the slow EV infrastructure development in the uk, what would be you (gu)estimate for the HV equivalent?
And 2) when will prices level out to ‘affordable’ for the mass produced cars eg ID3/Ionique sort of ranges?
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for your comment.
Firstly, we cannot comment on this.
Secondly, currently, we do not have any further pricing information.
Furthermore, the Mirai is a large premium executive saloon, not a hatchback. Therefore, it is going to be more expensive.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Thanks.
They actually don’t call them HVs, which would make sense, right, hydrogen vehicles? They call them FCEVs or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles, (as in hydrogen fuel cell) because well… nerds decide. I prefer HVs.
Great to see an alternative to battery.
Is there a map of current Hydrogen charge sites in the UK available online? Thanks.
Hi Nick,
You can view a map of the current Hydrogen Refuelling Stations here – http://www.ukh2mobility.co.uk/stations/
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Thanks.
With it being £50,000 that puts it into the extra v.e.d charge for the first 5 years. Which is a hefty £350 on top of whatever they are going to charge for the basic car tax. So it still only going to be brought by those money to spare
No surcharge on zero emission vehicles over 40k.
If you installed hydrogen fuelling facility at some of your dealers I suspect it would encourage a lot of sales?
That’s a great idea. If FCEVs come to Ireland they should put a Hydrogen Filling Station in McNally Motors in Longford. Longford has the highest proportion of commutes greater than 90 minutes each way in Ireland. Target market, right there.
1)Is there a list of the hydrogen filling locations
across the UK?
2) Does this car avoid the punitive first year road tax ( based on retail price) in UK?
I’ve seen this technology in action on the ZeroAvia test aeroplane, no harmful by products ( only water)
Thanks
Hi Peter,
1) Yes, you can access this here – http://www.ukh2mobility.co.uk/stations/
2) Also yes. However, there is then an additional charge after that of £350 for the next 5 years.
We hope this helps, please let us know if you have any further questions.
Thanks.