Two hydrogen tanks are included on the Mirai, each with a three-layer construction constructed of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, nylon 6 from Ube Industries, and other components. The tanks hold hydrogen at a pressure of 70 MPa and total 122 liters (10,000 psi).
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What volume of hydrogen is required to fill a Toyota Mirai?
A 2021 Toyota Mirai established a Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled by a fuel-cell vehicle without refueling by traveling 845 miles on a single hydrogen tank. There are a few restrictions on that record, though.
According to a press release from Toyota, the Mirai was primarily driven during rush hour. This allowed drivers to go very slowly, which increases the Mirai’s range. Additionally, it was mostly driven in Southern California loops rather than straight lines. According to Toyota, the record attempt took place during the two days of August 23 and 24, 2021, covering 473 miles on the first day and 372 miles on the second.
This was a very unusual driving style and was not at all practical in the actual world because the crew used hypermiling techniques to optimize range, such as turning off equipment and overinflating the tires.
The Mirai has a tank life of 357 miles in Limited form and 402 miles in XLE form, according to the EPA, with the LE earning higher fuel economy than the Honda Clarity. The figures obtained by Toyota, which are similar to a regular driving range that is more than double the EPA rating, won’t be experienced by most drivers.
Even yet, this is a noteworthy accomplishment all by itself. According to Toyota, the Mirai achieved 152 MPGe and traveled the distance on only 12.4 pounds of hydrogen. On a weight basis, that is less than the weight of two gallons of gas, or more than 420 mpg, with a gallon of fuel weighing roughly 6.3 pounds. The Mirai weights 4,255 pounds, which is significantly less than a comparable battery-electric vehicle for a large, premium sedan.
Additionally, Toyota claims that the Mirai produces “zero emissions” when driving and cleans the air.
A large portion of hypermiling entails, at the very least, traveling very slowly. But it’s a useful mental exercise to consider how much efficiency you might be giving up by adjusting to standard driving speeds and patterns.
Over the years, we’ve reported about a variety of hypermilers, such the Jaguar XJ-S driver who got 36 mpg or the pair that drove their Jetta TDI 9,505 miles across the United States while averaging 67 mpg. In a battery-electric vehicle, you may travel many, many more miles on a charge if you’re willing to drive slowly enough.
At least one possible fuel-cell device claims to have a 1,000-mile range while going to great lengths to achieve it. That supercar, the Hyperion XP-1, likewise boasts a stated top speed of 221 mph.
Stunts like the hypermiling one match Toyota’s continuing efforts to advance fuel cells. As part of kits to replace the diesel engines in Class 8 semi trucks, the business recently announced its intention to manufacture fuel-cell modules in the United States. As with previous record runs, this most recent experiment doesn’t really prove much, but the numbers are what matter.
How much hydrogen can a Toyota Mirai contain, in kilograms?
Toyota has demonstrated a remarkably strong commitment to hydrogen transportation; in fact, it was the first automaker to introduce a hydrogen saloon in large-scale manufacturing to the German market back in 2015. Even from a distance, it is clear that this is a unique vehicle since the side view is intended to resemble a drop of water.
The world’s most effective fuel cell, the outcome of more than 20 years of research and development, is at the heart of the Toyota MIRAI. The fuel-cell stacks made by Toyota are the first to incorporate fine-meshed 3D channels, which enable uniform power generation on the cell surfaces and, as a result, optimal efficiency and performance at a small size. At a 700 bar pressure, the hydrogen is stored in carbon fiber-reinforced plastic containers.
A 114 kW/155 PS* electric motor powers the MIRAI. The battery that supports its high-performance fuel cell also serves to store braking energy. The MIRAI has a 500 km range with a five kilogram tank capacity. The three-minute fueling process takes place. It uses 0.76 kg of H2 every 100 km and emits 0 g of CO2 per kilometer.
How much hydrogen can be stored on the Mirai?
The Toyota Mirai piloted by Victorien Erussard and representatives of Toyota Motor Europe and Toyota France went 1,003 miles on May 26 starting from the HysetCo hydrogen station in Orly.
This Mirai, which complied in every aspect with the advertised model, shattered the previous record for the distance a fuel cell vehicle could go on a single charge.
The 1,003 kilometers were primarily driven in the presence of a bailiff in the French provinces of Loir-et-Cher and Indre-et-Loire, south of Paris. Throughout the entire journey, the average hydrogen consumption was kept to 0.55 g/km. 5.6 kg of hydrogen may be stored in the three tanks of the Mirai.
The hydrogen used for this record has zero emissions throughout its entire life, from production to consumption in the Mirai.
Victorien Erussard, the CEO and captain of Energy Observer, was one of the four drivers who took turns behind the wheel of the Mirai to set this record. The name of the first vessel fitted with the Toyota hydrogen fuel cell, autonomous and zero emission, both advocacy and laboratory of the energy transition, comes from Energy Observer, of whom Toyota is a partner.
With the help of the City of Paris, Energy Observer, an organization that now brings expeditions and innovations together, unveiled its brand-new exhibition village focused on hydrogen and renewable energies in Paris. This significant occurrence known as “From May 20 to May 30, the Champ-de-Mars was the site of the Paris of Hydrogen. Due to green hydrogen supplied by the GEH2 electro-hydrogen group created by the start-up EODev, of which Toyota Motor Europe is a shareholder, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated for the first time on this occasion.
The Toyota Motor Europe engineering team that set this milestone also included product managers Maxime Le Hir for the Mirai and Marie Gadd for Toyota France.
Toyota introduced the first Mirai to international markets in 2014. This significant development was made possible because to Toyota’s distinctive hybrid technology expertise. A variety of electrified powertrains, including fuel cells, are built on this technology. Each engine has characteristics that are tailored to particular mobility needs: Full-size hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that travel long distances or are used for utility, industrial, or public transportation purposes are also options. Other options include fully electric vehicles for compatible uses of recharging, self-charging and rechargeable hybrids for versatile use, and vehicles that can travel long distances on their own.
Toyota has released the second generation of their fuel cell vehicle with the new Mirai. This advances the technology and gives the consumer a more economical car with a svelte and athletic design. The average range in normal driving has been raised to 650 kilometers (WLTP Mirai range medium combined cycle) thanks to the efficiency of the fuel cell system, greater hydrogen storage capacity, and enhanced aerodynamics. A 700 bar hydrogen compression station produces hydrogen in less than 5 minutes, which is a 30% improvement over the Mirai of the first generation.
The team of drivers followed all the guidelines for eco-driving if they were able to travel 1,003 kilometers on a single hydrogen charge.
Toyota’s societal commitment is formalized through BEYOND ZERO, which is built around four pillars: electrification, mobility for all, customer experience, and the improvement of society.
The brand-new Toyota Mirai perfectly exemplifies Toyota’s dedication to electrification, the first tenet of BEYOND ZERO. The market-exclusive second-generation hydrogen fuel cell sedan perfectly exemplifies the Group’s commitment to providing mobility solutions that go above and beyond zero-emissions by combining the benefits of electric mobility with unmatched simplicity of use, autonomy, and rapid recharging.
More generally, Toyota views hydrogen as a practical and plentiful resource for storing and transporting energy, and as such, as our 4th pillar BEYOND ZERO, an essential tool in the development of a better society in harmony with the environment.
Hydrogen has the potential to generate energy for industry, businesses, and homes in addition to providing zero carbon mobility for trains, boats, and airplanes. Because of this, Toyota is launching numerous initiatives to democratize its use in our daily lives and demonstrate its relevance, including electric generators (EODev), boats (Hynova), Parisian taxis and buses (Hype, RATP experiment), trucks (Hino), an entire city powered solely by hydrogen (Woven City), and any other use by supplying its fuel cell.
The fuel cell has a growing range of applications, and its benefits are proved, as demonstrated by this distance record, which tests the limits of hydrogen mobility.
“With the new Mirai, we have conquered a fantastic task. Internally, we are motivated by the Start Your Impossible spirit of surpassing oneself, as we have shown today.
I want to express my gratitude to Victorien, with whom we share the same vision and aspirations, and the Toyota France and Toyota Motor Europe teams for their participation. We will be able to contribute to the emergence of a better society that respects the environment by forming strong collaborations. Toyota’s desire to advance “enable everyone to sit down for the future beyond “0”
“I’m very glad I decided to take on this 1,000 mile challenge while driving the brand-new Mirai! Toyota has consistently been at the forefront of hydrogen innovation, and our partnership has only gotten better over time. I need to take on challenges because I used to race offshore, so I’d like to thank Frank Marotte and his crew for letting me go on this zero-emission trip with them. It proves that nothing is impossible and that today’s hydrogen mobility is possible.
What is the price of a gallon of hydrogen fuel?
Although hydrogen fuel is four times more expensive than gasoline and about $16 per gallon, it is far more efficient than gasoline. The cost of a fillup is high even though hydrogen cars, which have electric engines, have cruising ranges that are more than 350 miles longer than any battery-electric and some gas-powered vehicles.
The financial blow has been considerably mitigated by incentives. The state offers a $4,500 clean-car refund, and manufacturers supply refueling cards with three years’ worth of credit put on them. The first year of leasing a hydrogen vehicle, which is what most drivers do instead of buying, is mostly covered by that refund. New hydrogen vehicles cost around $60,000 and don’t come in as many model variants as battery-powered electric vehicles.
Aaron Slavin and his wife, who reside in the Altadena, California, neighborhood of Los Angeles, created a spreadsheet to analyze the benefits and drawbacks of driving a hydrogen-fueled vehicle. They came to the conclusion that keeping a gas-electric hybrid “didn’t pencil out.”
Aaron Slavin refueled his 2017 Toyota Mirai at a one-bay hydrogen pump concealed at a typical gas station in South Pasadena and declared, “I’m a big fan of this car; I preach about them.
Slavin, a producer of performing arts, claimed that because of his employment, lack of frequent commuting, and backup hybrid SUV, he is an ideal fit for the vehicle.
Last year, a fuel manufacturing facility explosion restricted supply for months, leaving some hydrogen stations with empty tanks, leaving some drivers stranded or demanding lengthy treks to alternate stations, making the second car essential. Slavin turned to a smartphone app that offered a real-time inventory of fuel at each station in response to the issue, which some drivers dubbed the “hydropocalypse.”
Although the gasoline issue has been fixed, it prompted a concern. Our lease expires in April, so I really need to consider our options, Slavin added. ” The automobile is nice, however the fuel situation worries me.
Hydrogen energy production has long been an alluring objective. After all, hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, it is lightweight and energy-dense, and when used in transportation, it doesn’t release greenhouse gases but rather little pools of water instead.
But this clean-burning fuel has a carbon history. About 95% of hydrogen fuel is created via an energy-intensive method that relies on methane, the deadliest of the planet-warming gases, even though once it is formed it drives zero-emission electric motors. Because of this, it is challenging for certain environmental organizations to promote hydrogen vehicles.
Director of the Sierra Club in California Kathryn Phillips said, “We need to remove methane out of the system, not create a dependency on creating more. ” The current utilization of state subsidies for hydrogen fuel cells is not the ideal one when seen from an environmental perspective.
Two responses are given by supporters: Why not trap and use the methane that is currently being released unregulated into the environment from landfills and oil and gas plants while the state makes the transition to a zero-carbon economy? Why not switch to a technique that doesn’t use methane and uses the state’s excess solar energy instead, making the manufacturing clean and environmentally friendly?
Hydrogen vehicles can’t compete in a key area: price, while having benefits over battery electrics or gasoline automobiles in terms of quicker filling, less weight, and greater range. The cost of a typical municipal bus could be $450,000. Similar standards for a hydrogen bus cost more like $1 million.
Lewis Fulton, a specialist in transportation at UC Davis, claims that hydrogen “presents numerous separate chicken-and-egg challenges simultaneously.
He asserted that there won’t be more hydrogen fuelling stations until there are more vehicles built and bought. Furthermore, unless there are sufficient gas stations, customers might be concerned about getting stranded and may not feel safe operating the vehicles.
The only solution, according to Fulton, is a really strong policy push. “In the state, there is already one going on, but I’m not sure if it’s big enough.
As part of its ongoing conflict with the Trump administration, which last year took away the state’s jurisdiction to establish its own tailpipe pollution rules, California’s efforts to promote the market for hydrogen cars could be hindered. Car manufacturers who supported looser emissions regulations with the federal government will pay a price by having their vehicles removed from the state’s fleet.
Toyota, which sided with Washington, would be excluded at a time when the business is stepping up its hydrogen program and is anticipated to dramatically increase customer awareness of hydrogen vehicles due to its position as a major multinational automaker.
Supporters played minimized the problem. Eckerle acknowledged that there was an issue. He continued, however, that there has been no sign from automakers that they plan to back out of their commitment to producing hydrogen-powered vehicles.