Toyota has been making headlines for months now with the development of their first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle, the Mirai. Most recently, the very first unit of the very first fuel cell vehicle available to the public was delivered to Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe. Your Pennsylvania Area Toyota dealer gives you the full scoop.
The What
On January 15th, 2015, Shinzo Abe took delivery of the very first Mirai. The event was prestigious and several other high-ranking figures, including Toyota’s president, Akio Toyoda, noted that it ushers in a new era of vehicles: hydrogen fuel cells. Similar to the Prius and hybrid technology, Toyota is positioning itself to be at the forefront of the market. The engine uses a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity with water as the only by-product.
The Why
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Toyota would deliver the first Mirai in such style. When they announced last year that they would be producing these vehicles for the general public, it was expected to give consumers yet another option for much cleaner fuel alternatives. The Mirai, for example, can get as much as 300 miles on a single filling of hydrogen.
The Result
The Mirai is still only available in Japan at the moment, but don’t get discouraged. Toyota plans to offer the Mirai in the United States later in 2015. What’s more, they’ve announced that nearly 1,000 patents they own on fuel cell technology will be available for free to other companies, encouraging competition in technology as well as price which should bring down the expected $57,000 price tag.
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