First Danish customer receives his Toyota Mirai
The future has just arrived in Denmark in the form of the fuel cell vehicle Toyota Mirai, which means future in Japanese. On 22nd of October, the first Danish Mirai-customer — a family dad from Holstebro in West Denmark — received the keys of his new fuel cell vehicle.
There are courtesy smiles, pretend smiles and normal happy smiles. Then there are the unique, genuine smiles, which say more than a thousand words. Such a smile filled the face of Jacob Krogsgaard when he received the keys to his brand new fuel cell vehicle Toyota Mirai, accompanied by his wife, Rikke, and their two children Johanne and Andrea, seven and three years old, as the first Mirai- customer in Denmark.
Jacob ordered the zero-emission fuel cell vehicle several months ago shortly after he learned that Toyota decided to introduce the Toyota Mirai in Denmark, as one of the first countries in the world. He has been looking forward to this day like a child looking forward to Christmas.
"In reality, this is much better than Christmas", Jacob Krogsgaard states with a big smile on his face casting another glance at his new white fuel cell vehicle. In the background his two daughters do not seem to completely agree with that.
Kristian Krapper, President of Toyota Denmark, handed-over the car keys to Mr. Krogsgaard and his family at the Toyota-dealer STS Biler in Herning in Denmark.
"I am very proud to be the first Mirai-customer in Denmark. It is without a doubt the car of the future, and I am looking forward to driving around together with my family knowing that the only emission from the car is water vapour", Jacob Krogsgaard says.
He is engineer and CEO at the hydrogen refuelling station manufacturer H2 Logic and therefore also very interested in the technology in general.
"It is a very special day. Not only for Toyota and for Jacob and his family. But in truth also for Denmark as a country. This is the first big step on a very exciting journey to the zero-emission vehicle fleet", Kristian Krapper from Toyota Denmark says.
After years of research and development towards the ultimate goal - the zero-emission vehicle that neither has an impact on the climate nor the environment - it is no coincidence that Toyota has chosen Denmark as one of the first countries in the world to introduce the innovative fuel cell vehicle.
Fuel cell vehicles are exempt from registration fees at least until 2019 in Denmark. In addition, as the only country in the world, Denmark has a nationwide network of hydrogen refuelling stations with a total of seven stations in operation across the country. With a range of more than 500 km on a full tank it is thus now possible to drive Mirai from one end of the country to another.
Mirai is the world's first hydrogen fuel cell sedan, benefiting from Toyota research and development of the fuel cell technology spanning for over two decades, and world-leading experience in hybrid vehicle power systems. Using hydrogen gas to generate electricity within a fuel cell stack, Mirai produces no tailpipe emissions other than water. Even the hydrogen, that is being used to refuel the car, is produced 100% in Denmark by wind turbines which are renewable green energy.
The Toyota Mirai is spacious, refined, comfortable and safe, it combines its advanced technology with superb practicality: a full-tank driving range of around 500 kilometres bears comparison with a petrol-powered car and the refuelling process only takes about three minutes to complete.
Denmark is among the first wave of markets in Europe for Mirai, together with the U.K., Germany and Belgium.
Notes to the editors:
H2 Logic:
H2 Logic A/S is a leading manufacturer of H2Station® hydrogen refueling stations that provides fuel cell electric vehicles with the same fast fueling and long range as conventional vehicles today. Since incorporation in 2003 H2 Logic has invested significantly in RandD that has brought H2Station® to a level where products are offered for the early market for roll-out of larger networks of hydrogen refuelling stations. Today H2 Logic is one among few global leaders on fast refueling for FCEVs. H2Station® technology is in operation in several European countries providing hydrogen fueling on daily basis for fuel cell electric vehicles from major car manufacturers. H2 Logic was one among the first to achieve fast fueling of hydrogen in compliance with the SAE J2601 standard that is required by the major car manufacturers. The standard ensures a fast and reliable fueling of hydrogen at 70MPa pressure, which provides long driving range. In Denmark H2 Logic has delivered H2Station® technology for the entire country network of hydrogen fueling stations that is operated in collaboration with leading oil, energy and gas companies. Besides providing fast fueling H2Station® technology also has a long proven track-record of reliable operation with more than 99% availability — one among the highest recorded in the world for a scattered network of 24 hour public available hydrogen fuelling stations.