2021 Toyota Mirai revealed, now RWD sedan.

[CorneringArtist]

https://jalopnik.com/the-2021-toyota...dri-1838951546

There’s a new Toyota Mirai out for 2021, and visually it’s a vast improvement over the previous Mirai, which was, to be charitable, a lunch-tossingly ugly vehicle. Fascinatingly, it’s gone rear-wheel drive this time, which almost never happens, but it’s still definitely a hydrogen-powered car.

The new Mirai ditches all the awkward curves and folds and tumor-like vents for a “coupe inspired” design that’s clean and sleek. As much as you think Toyota would have been tempted to make this a battery-electric vehicle, Toyota is doubling down on its hydrogen development. And you can still only buy it in a very limited number of places.

This new Mirai is based on Toyota’s premium global RWD platform, which should be nice for handling and driving feel, and Toyota wants to get about 30 percent more range from the new car than the old one, which should put it around 350 miles per tank of still-hard-to-find hydrogen.

Pricing hasn’t been released yet.

There’s a lot to like about hydrogen as a fuel, if only it was as abundant here on earth as it is out in the universe, where it’s the most common element. But the truth is the electric charging infrastructure has been growing far faster than the hydrogen infrastructure.

Some of the issues are regulatory—Toyota told me there’s many stations in the Northeast that just can’t be open for legal reasons, and it’s still the case that in New York and New Jersey you can’t drive a hydrogen vehicle in a tunnel, which is, of course, a problem.

The 2021 Mirai is a vast improvement in design, no question. And it runs with the torque of an electric car, but weighs less and takes far less time to refuel/recharge. On paper, it seems to have many advantages, or at least be competitive with an battery electric out there.

Too bad we don’t live on paper, though. The lack of fueling options can’t be ignored. There’s a reason this is, by far, Toyota’s lowest-selling vehicle. Because hardly anyone is in a position to actually own one. Even the 6,000 or so that exist in the world are 99.9 percent leases, so nobody really even owns one, anyway.

At an electrification event near where I live in North Carolina, I asked Toyota engineers and product people flat out why this isn’t a battery EV designed to compete with, say, the Tesla Model S.

And Toyota’s smart, well-spoken representatives painted a compelling story for hydrogen: it’s vastly quicker to refuel hydrogen than it is to recharge batteries, the cars weigh a great deal less, fuel cell technology is mature and more efficient, with only water vapor as exhaust, and so on.

It’s an appealing story until you try and figure out where your local hydrogen station is (pretty much if you’re anywhere but California, it’s very far away) and it’s not like they’re just getting started—Toyota has been working on hydrogen cars since they started developing hybrid cars.

And while hydrogen cars I do believe are as safe (perhaps safer) than battery electrics when it comes to fire, those very safe tanks are still bulky, and the components of hydrogen cars do not lend themselves to the extraordinarily efficient packaging of a battery vehicle, not by a long shot.

So, yes, this new Mirai seems so much better than the old one. Will it move the needle in favor of hydrogen cars? That’s hard to believe, but it’s got a better shot than it did before.

[BIC_BAWS]

Looks great! I'd drive one, except hydrogen gas prices are as expensive as 91 or 94. The Hyundai Nexo(?) looks good too!

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[CorneringArtist]

Originally Posted by BIC_BAWS

Looks great! I'd drive one, except hydrogen gas prices are as expensive as 91 or 94. The Hyundai Nexo(?) looks good too!

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Supposedly, Toyota provides three years of free hydrogen refuels. If it extends to everyone, that's a huge cost gone within initial ownership.

[twitchyzero]

DOA if it's ever released for general public in north america

if you think charging stations are a joke, dont hold your breath for hydrogen station as even remotely viable here

[CorneringArtist]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

DOA if it's ever released for general public in north america

if you think charging stations are a joke, dont hold your breath for hydrogen station as even remotely viable here

The current Mirai has been leased in Ontario and Quebec since it came out. One came out here to show off to dealerships. More filling stations there. Unfortunately, there's only one filling station here, and it's in Surrey.

There's also quite a few on the US coasts.

[Spectre_Cdn]

^The Shell at Granville and 70th has hydrogen available.

[vexor]

Originally Posted by BIC_BAWS

Looks great! I'd drive one, except hydrogen gas prices are as expensive as 91 or 94. The Hyundai Nexo(?) looks good too!

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Still better than waiting an hour or longer to get a charge.

I drove the Nexo (Review Here) and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it more than I did in a full electric car. Sure I couldn't go on a trip with it because of the lack of hydrogen fuel stations but within town I felt less range anxiety than I did with a full electric car. Plus I'm sure once more companies develop easier and efficient ways of producing hydrogen and distributing it, the prices will come down.

[!LittleDragon]

Originally Posted by vexor

Plus I'm sure once more companies develop easier and efficient ways of producing hydrogen and distributing it, the prices will come down.

You wouldn't even need to distribute it. Hydrogen could be generated onsite at the fuelling station. All you need is water and electricity.

Unfortunately, at the moment mass quantities of hydrogen is created with methane but that should change if the demand is there.

I'd totally buy this car if it had a few hundred more HP... lol... first auto manufacturer that builds a midsize/fullsize hydrogen performance luxury sedan gets my money. I'm just not sure if hydrogen can generate enough current on the fly to get a 3 second 0-60 time. Maybe a hybrid setup that uses battery power for acceleration?

[roastpuff]

Originally Posted by !LittleDragon

You wouldn't even need to distribute it. Hydrogen could be generated onsite at the fuelling station. All you need is water and electricity.

Unfortunately, at the moment mass quantities of hydrogen is created with methane but that should change if the demand is there.

I'd totally buy this car if it had a few hundred more HP... lol... first auto manufacturer that builds a midsize/fullsize hydrogen performance luxury sedan gets my money. I'm just not sure if hydrogen can generate enough current on the fly to get a 3 second 0-60 time. Maybe a hybrid setup that uses battery power for acceleration?

Use a supercapacitor for bursts of acceleration etc.

[Mikoyan]

Shell at Willingdon and Canada Way just installed Hydrogen and a Charging station over the summer.

[vexor]

Originally Posted by !LittleDragon

You wouldn't even need to distribute it. Hydrogen could be generated onsite at the fuelling station. All you need is water and electricity.

Sorry, I meant more stations with hydrogen availability

[DragonChi]

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