2016 Toyota Mirai Fuel-Cell Sedan

From the September 2015 issue
Mirai is Japanese for "the time to come." This can be Toyota's way of stating that its sedan most resembling SpongeBob SquarePants on a skateboard runs on hydrogen and creates no discharges. The Mirai is the primary fuel cell automobile offered for sale, maybe not only rent. (The conceptually related Honda FCX Clarity and Hyundai Tucson FCEV stay corporate house through and following the length of the leases.) The conventional rap on fuelcell vehicles--that the engineering is constantly five years away--expires when eight California sellers supply 200 Mirais before the conclusion of the entire year, adopted by still another 2800 automobiles during the following couple of years. The $58,325 foundation cost is not much of a return on the 2 3 years of improvement and 5680 patents that Toyota committed to this time to come, but landmarks never come inexpensive.

To examine not only the Mirai but also the initial stage of infrastructure that supports it, we seen hydrogen filling stations in the greater Los Angeles area and drove north to the Mojave Desert for efficiency measurements. Toyota engineer, potential thinker, and fuelcell authority Jackie Birdsall served as chaperone and tourguide without whining about our pre-emptive variety stress, barrage of technology questions, or blind curve photographic tactics.

Top left: The Mirai?s cottage is less Camry, more Star-Ship Business. But it?s selfconsciously futuristic; the capacitive-contact information displays are comparatively normal, only broken up onto three screens. Right: The filler requires a hard shove to partner using the Mirai.

Versus the 10,000 or so gas stations in California, early adopters will have no more than 20 places throughout the state to re-fuel their Mirais. We started our L.A. Basin infrastructure evaluation by topping off the Mirai's two hydrogen tanks at a Shell station conveniently situated down the street from Toyota's Torrance, California, headquarters. Hydrogen sent at 10,000 psi gave us an suggested 270 miles of array. This station is fed by means of an Air Products pipe-line which has served near-by oil refineries for two decades.

Managing the filler nozzle requires patience as well as a solid hold; shove in smartly, yank to confirm a secure relationship, then wedge and latch the handle to meter. Birdsall's training helped. To improve its density, the hydrogen fuel is cooled to only above 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the nozzle drips with condensation, it is maybe not cool to the touch.

Before our side excursion for screening, we topped off at a municipal solutions lot in Burbank, house to Disney, Warner Bros., and several traditional tv-shows. This pump was concealed, but once we found it and entered Birdsall's key free-gas codes, our tanks were complete in 4 minutes, resetting the array screen into a healthful 270 miles.

The Mirai are at home in the L.A. sprawl. It is cozy, isolation chamber silent, along with a nice means of putting up with clotted highways. Taking advantage of the auto's qualifications for the city's large-occupancy-vehicle lanes, we cruised in the speed-limit after dark creeping CO? Companies.

While the Mirai's skill to achieve 60-mph in 9.4 seconds and 80 miles per hour in the quartermile is sufficient to keep up with the Priuses and pool cleaners' pick-ups, it is unlikely to hasten any enthusiast's heart. When you nail the correct pedal, there is a mild moan as well as the nose grows eagerly, supplying a false awareness of speed up. But with just 152 hp propelling a Camry-sized automobile weighing over two tons, this can be no Tesla.

Other character characteristics tend to be more satisfactory: Michelin Primacy MXV4 215/35R-17 tires and a properly tuned suspension provide sharp steering response. Small of L.A.'s pavement ripple reaches the driver's seat, and body-roll is nicely damped. The Mirai stops from 70 mph in 194 toes, just three toes longer than the past Prius we examined.

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30.08.2015
ID:2756

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