In its goal to achieve carbon neutrality, Toyota believes in a multi-path approach to mobility through a diverse range of battery electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles, full hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. In this way, customers across all regions can benefit by having access to a range of zero and low-emission vehicles which best meet their needs.

The Toyota Mirai is a prime example of the company's commitment to offering zero-emission vehicles. This hydrogen fuel cell powered sedan,  combines the advantages of electric mobility with unequalled comfort of use, autonomy, and rapid recharging, demonstrates Toyota’s determination to decarbonise.

The Toyota Mirai fleet will be refuelled with hydrogen from renewable sources provided by Air Liquide, Official Hydrogen Supporter of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024.

* London 2012,  Rio 2016

The cars are available in a new KINTO mobility station located at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and as all other KINTO-cars, bookable via the KINTO-mobile app.

KINTO is part of Toyota’s global vision to provide all kinds of services related to the mobility of people, all around the world. KINTO Europe, established on 1st of April, was the latest step in the journey from mobility as a project to mobility as a business, with a view of truly delivering ‘Mobility for All’. In Europe, KINTO is already active in 10 countries: Germany, Italy, France, Spain, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Portugal and is expanding quickly.

Toyota Mirai was first introduced in 2014 in Japan and has been available in Europe since 2016. The second generation Mirai was launched in Europe earlier this year and is equipped with Toyota’s latest fuel cell technology, making it lighter, more compact, more efficient and even cheaper than before. Johan Lundbland comments:

The 1003 zero-emission kilometres were driven on public roads, south of Paris and in the Loir-et-Cher and Indre-et-Loire areas, and the distance & consumption were certified by an independent authority.

Green hydrogen was used during the record attempt and the average fuel consumption was 0.55 kg/100km, with Mirai being able to store 5.6 kg of hydrogen.

The new Mirai demonstrated its efficiency and ease of driving

The new Mirai is the second-generation fuel cell electric vehicle from Toyota. It offers more performance, a sleeker and more dynamic design and new driving dynamics compared to the first-generation product.

In addition, the increased efficiency of the fuel cell system, together with higher hydrogen storage capacity and better aerodynamics, contribute to an increase of driving range to around 650 km under normal driving conditions, with less than 5 minutes refuelling time at a 700 bar refuelling station.

To achieve this 1003 km driving distance record, the drivers adopted an “eco-driving” style but no special techniques that could not be used by everyday drivers.

The Toyota Mirai and hydrogen at the heart of Beyond Zero

Beyond Zero highlights that zero emissions isn't Toyota’s destination.

It's simply a step in Toyota’s electrification journey to overcome barriers and build a better future for all: beyond emissions, beyond restrictions, beyond expectations and beyond barriers.

Mirai clearly demonstrates the ‘beyond emissions’ aspect by highlighting the advantages of zero emissions electric mobility whilst providing safety, comfort, extended range and ease of recharging.

Moreover, hydrogen, as a credible and abundant resource to transport and store energy, represents a strong opportunity for creating a better society.

Hydrogen can deliver zero-emission mobility, not only to road transport, but also to trains, boats and aircrafts, and to generate energy for industries, companies and households.

In that respect, Toyota supports many initiatives to democratise and diversify fuel cell applications: electric generators (EODev), boats (Hynova), taxis (Hype), buses (RATP and Caetano), trucks (Hino), the hydrogen city (Woven City) and other usages.

Record Achieved By 4 Drivers

The 4 drivers that completed the record attempt included Victorien Erussard, the founder and captain of Energy Observer.

Energy Observer, for which Toyota is a partner, is the first boat equipped with a Toyota fuel cell, is energy autonomous, zero emission and stands as a communication tool and as a research laboratory towards the energy transition. Energy Observer has now evolved into a company dealing with exploration and innovations. It recently presented its brand-new exhibition village dedicated to renewable energies and hydrogen in Paris.

During that event, the Eifel Tower was illuminated for the first time by green hydrogen, thanks to the GEH2® hydrogen generator developed by the EODev start-up organisation, of which Toyota is a shareholder.

James Olden, an engineer at Toyota Motor Europe, Maxime le Hir, Mirai product manager and Marie Gadd, PR manager of Toyota France were the other 3 drivers.

Statements

Frank Marotte, CEO of Toyota France

“It’s an amazing challenge that we achieved with the new Mirai. Internally, it is the mindset of Start your Impossible, going beyond our own limits, that drives us, and we proved it again today. I would like to thank the teams of Toyota France and Toyota Europe, as well as Victorien at Energy Observer, with whom we share the same vision and the same ambition. It is by strong partnerships that we will be able to contribute to a better and more environmentally-friendly society. With Toyota’s ambition to go ‘Beyond Zero’ in mind: take a seat for the future.”

Victorien Erussad, founder and captain of Energy Observer

“I am very happy to have taken this challenge of 1000 km beyond the wheel of the new Mirai. Toyota has always been at the forefront of hydrogen innovation and our collaboration gets stronger year by year. As a former open ocean racer, I need to take challenges and I warmly thank Frank Marotte and his teams to have taken me on this zero-emission adventure, showing that nothing is impossible and that hydrogen mobility is here today!”

Facts and figures

Distance travelled with one hydrogen fill: 1003 km

Average hydrogen consumption: 0.55 kg/100km

Range remaining (as indicated by on-board information system): 9 km

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The current Mirai has been a catalyst for increasing global awareness of how a future clean and sustainable hydrogen society might be achieved. It is a car that is technically sophisticated, yet eminently practical with a driving range of around 500km, easy refuelling in a matter of minutes and no emissions other than pure water. Since launch, around 10,000 units have been sold, while Toyota has actively supported the development of hydrogen fuel infrastructure in key markets worldwide.

This has been just the beginning: at the Tokyo Motor show, Toyota will provide an early glimpse of the advances it is making across the board with the new Mirai, in terms of technical excellence, dynamic performance, and desirable design.

Scheduled for launch in 2020, initially in Japan, North America and Europe, the new Mirai will be much more than an eco-car, showing how its FCEV technology is no barrier to creating a vehicle that is rewarding to drive and beautiful to look at.

Efficiency is still a critical area, and Toyota is targeting a 30% increase in the Mirai’s driving range through improvements to the fuel cell system and the use of larger on-board hydrogen tanks.

Yoshikazu Tanaka, the new Mirai’s Chief Engineer, said: “We have pursued the goal of making a car that customers will feel they want to drive all time, a car that has an emotional and attractive design and the kind of dynamic and responsive performance that can bring a smile to the driver’s face.

“I want customers to say ‘I chose the Mirai not just because it’s an FCEV, but because I simply wanted this car; it just happens to be an FCEV.’ We will continue our development work focusing on that feeling, and we hope that with the new Mirai we will be a leader in helping realise a hydrogen energy society.”

The new Mirai’s immediate impact is in its exterior design, with low lines, elegant proportions, sleek, taut bodywork and large, 20-inch diameter wheels that together generate a powerful and distinctive look. The preview car will be presented in a specially developed new blue paint finish that uses multiple layers to achieve an exceptional brightness and depth of colour.

The interior has been conceived as a simple, modern space with a warm, comfortable ambience that adds to the sense this is a car that’s genuinely enjoyable to drive and travel in. Key elements include a 12.3-inch centre display and an instrument panel that wraps around the driver. The platform and intelligent packaging allow for five seats to be provided in place of the current Mirai’s four.

The freedom to craft a more emotional and head-turning design has been one of the benefits of new Mirai being constructed on Toyota’s latest rear wheel drive modular platform, which was engineered to accommodate different powertrains – including a hydrogen fuel cell – the outset. It further gives the new Mirai a higher degree of body rigidity, which contributes to greater agility and responsiveness, and a lower centre of gravity, which makes for nimble, rewarding handling.

As well as extending the potential driving range, improvements in the performance of the fuel cell system give the new Mirai linear, smooth response when pulling away and an elegant driving feel, with unity between the driver’s throttle inputs and the car’s acceleration. Handling is light and easy on winding roads, while highway driving produces an exceptional sense of power at all speeds.