Hydrogen Powered Car

Toyota Mirai, the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-powered car is coming to Britain this autumn.

12:19 08 September 2015

The Toyota Mirai is coming to Britain this autumn, just in time for the opening of the UK’s first 24-hour, public hydrogen-refueling station.

 

Mirai, which means “future” in Japan, is the product of two decades of research and development. The state-of-the-art four-door car has a range of 300 miles and its 5kg hydrogen tanks can be refueled in five minutes.

 

Seiji Sano, head of the automotive giant’s research and development wing, said: “The challenge now is to make the hydrogen car become normal. Just as we did with the hybrid through the Prius. The Mirai actually has the same battery and motor as a hybrid vehicle, but it’s the fuel cell that is revolutionary.”

Meanwhile, Dennis Hayter, the chairman of the UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, said the UK government needed “reassurance” that hydrogen cars were viable before it boosted investment.

 

“Currently, anybody who builds a hydrogen refuelling plant is going to lose money and the Government has been backing off the necessary investment after they felt burnt by spending on electric vehicle infrastructure,” he said.