For the appropriate buyer, a hydrogen fuel cell car like the Mirai can be a fantastic value. The Mirai includes a significant fuel allowance, and the incentives and tax breaks can make leasing or purchasing one much more affordable.
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What is the cost of charging a Toyota Mirai?
In a perfect world, refueling a hydrogen car should take about the same amount of time as refueling a gasoline or diesel vehicle. Since the fuel is under pressure (up to 10,000 psi), you must lock the nozzle in place, but after you do that, you should be good to go. The pressure at the station, however, may really drop off momentarily if there are multiple automobiles waiting in line for hydrogen, slowing down everyone. If multiple cars use it in a sequence, the nozzle may also freeze, adhering to the cars and making removal more difficult until it thaws out.
Currently, it can be expensive to fill up a car with hydrogen, in part due to the lack of infrastructure. For instance, refueling the Mirai would run you roughly $90 per throw if you had to pay for it (by the kilogram). However, if all goes according to plan, you can drive around releasing only water, which is a pleasant perk.
Watch Tommy’s video below for additional information on the Mirai and what it’s like to live with it:
How much does a hydrogen fuel tank cost?
Since hydrogen is combustible, as are gasoline and lithium-ion batteries, safety is an issue. Additional safety issues are associated with the transportation of hydrogen for usage at refueling stations. Sensors are used at stations to check for leaks. In California, where the industrial sector has been carrying hydrogen for decades, there have not been any significant problems reported.
The National Fire Protection Association claims that battery-powered electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, both of which fall under the category of alternative fuels, are not any riskier than conventional internal combustion engines. According to NFPA statistics, an internal combustion engine vehicle causes a car fire in the United States around every three minutes.
In California, hydrogen fuel costs roughly $16/kg on average.
Hydrogen is sold by the kilogram and gasoline by the gallon (volume) (weight). One gallon of gasoline has roughly the same amount of energy as one kilogram of hydrogen, to put that into perspective. The majority of fuel cell electric vehicles carry between 5 and 6 kg of hydrogen but travel twice as far as a contemporary internal combustion vehicle with the same amount of petrol in the tank, which equates to $5 to $6 in gasoline per gallon.
According to the EPA, the current average range of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is between 312 and 380 miles. They will need to refill from empty, which will cost them roughly $80 (most drivers don’t allow their tanks run completely empty before refueling, so they usually only spend $55 to $65). Automakers already cover that expense by giving lessees prepaid cards good for up to $15,000 worth of fuel over the course of three years. A normal automobile with a huge petrol tank can cost $40 or more to fill up in California, the state with the highest gas prices in the country.
The Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, and Hyundai Nexo have estimated annual fuel expenses of $4,495, which is three to four times the price of gas-powered competitors.
Shane Stephens, principal and chief development officer at FirstElement Fuel, which operates 19 of the state’s 39 hydrogen refueling stations and is building 12 of the remaining 25 stations, said, “We recognize the automakers can’t keep paying for fuel, and we see the line of sight to get there, but it is a volume game and we need to hit a critical mass.” The short-term goal of his business is $10/kg, or about $4/gal of gas. In the next three to five years, Stephens said, “that is a good near-term acceptable amount to hit and get people off automaker-subsidized fuel.”
The fundamental issue is that cars are still pricey. With a starting price of $59,345 (compared to the comparable-sized Santa Fe’s starting price of $24,250), Nexo is the most expensive Hyundai currently available for purchase in the United States. The MSRP for the fuel cell versions of the Toyota Mirai and Honda Clarity is in the $59,000 to $59,999 range. Government rebates are available for some car purchases, and in California, a $5,000 tax credit is available.
Because fuel cell and battery electric vehicle technology is still in its infancy and early adopters don’t want to be locked into a specific model for an extended period of time as the technology develops and efficiency rises, leasing has become a common customer choice.
Fuel cell costs should decrease if the market expands and reaches economies of scale in production and infrastructure, as with any new technology. Although Honda has a long-term commitment to hydrogen, Kumaratne noted that automobiles cannot be sold in the absence of infrastructure.
According to Stephens, the market in California could support “a few hundred thousand cars” and compete on price with petroleum. Although that is a significant increase over the 6,000 cars sold so far, most new auto markets begin with small production runs. Toyota has stated that it intends to raise production of the Mirai from 3,000 units annually to 30,000 vehicles by 2021. “That is an increase of tenfold magnitude.”
“It won’t be long before California has a few hundred thousand cars. Additionally, Toyota alone “stated Stephens. “This is only intended to get us over the impending hurdle rather than fund infrastructure growth in its entirety. We can really start to phase out government subsidies once we reach a few hundred thousand cars and become self-sufficient.”
Why is the Mirai priced so low?
The Toyota Mirai is one of only two hydrogen-powered automobiles that are currently being produced, making it relatively special. Although hydrogen technology is by no means new, it has only ever been utilized in concept cars, which makes Mirai a unique automobile.
We must examine every facet of operating and maintaining a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in order to comprehend why the Mirai is so inexpensive (FCV). Even if you have no plans to purchase a Mirai, I urge you to read this article because the concept behind it is both fascinating and ground-breaking.
The simple answer is that the Mirai is affordable due to the significant incentives provided when purchasing a new model, the most popular three-year lease with free fuel, a dearth of charging stations, and some consumer skepticism over the technology.
How long is the Mirai battery good for?
The normal battery life of a 2022 Toyota Mirai is 3 to 5 years, although actual battery life can vary greatly depending on driving patterns, weather, and battery type.
How far can a Mirai travel?
The astounding EPA-estimated driving range of the new 2022 Toyota Mirai is achieved by fusing hydrogen with oxygen from ambient air. The hydrogen fuel tank that interacts with the air entering through the grille is at the center of the new Toyota Mirai 2022. From here, it flows to the fuel cell stack, where oxygen from the intake and hydrogen undergo a chemical reaction to produce electricity. This produces the power required to move the new Toyota Mirai in 2022. The new 2022 Toyota Mirai XLE and 2022 Toyota Mirai Limited both feature EPA-estimated driving ranges of up to 402 miles and 357 miles, respectively. Just consider how far you could go with a full tank. How far will you travel and where will you go?
How long does it take a Toyota Mirai to refuel?
Exceptional 402-Mile Range The Mirai just only about five minutes to fill up and has an accessible EPA-estimated range of 402 miles* for the XLE model.
Is hydrogen fuel less expensive than regular fuel?
Is fuel made of hydrogen less expensive than fuel made of gasoline? We look into how hydrogen is produced in the UK and why it is less expensive to produce than gasoline.
Yes, hydrogen fuel is less expensive to create than gasoline, to give the quick response. In contrast to the dangerous CO2 created by conventional internal combustion engines, the only byproduct of hydrogen fuel is clean water. Hydrogen is not only more energy-efficient than gasoline, but it is also better for the environment. Then again, why don’t we all drive vehicles fueled by hydrogen?
Although using hydrogen cells to power our commutes has numerous benefits, there are also occasions when the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. Despite being the most prevalent chemical element in the universe, hydrogen is not found in nature. Hydrogen, unlike fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal, must be derived chemically from other sources.
Why isn’t hydrogen the future?
In a fuel cell, hydrogen is not consumed because it is the most abundant element in the universe and is solely used to transport energy. But it doesn’t exactly grow on trees either, and there aren’t any “hydrogen pockets” beneath the ground that we can just pump it out of. In order to be extracted from compounds from which it really doesn’t want to be separated because it doesn’t exist on our planet in a pure state, a lot of energy must be expended.
You’d think hydrogen could be produced by simply splitting water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O), but this process is too inefficient. As a result, about 95% of hydrogen is produced using fossil fuels, primarily natural gas, which negates the first argument by generating carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Additionally, when reversed in the fuel cell, it consumes more energy than it produces (six units of coal energy are needed to produce one unit of hydrogen energy). As a result, like a battery electric vehicle, a hydrogen automobile won’t be ecologically benign until the energy is produced by solar or wind power.
What is the cost of a hydrogen fill-up for a Mirai?
Some automobiles are pricey to buy, while others are pricey to own. The average price of hydrogen fuel is $16 per kilogram, thus filling up a Toyota Mirai might be rather expensive. Since the Mirai typically holds 5 pounds, your cost would be about $80.
It should be mentioned, nevertheless, that hydrogen fuel is significantly more effective than gasoline. On the interstate, a Mirai can do 71 miles per kilo, and 76 in the city.
Why is the Toyota Mirai restricted to California only?
Toyota today produces a variety of electrical vehicles, from hybrids and plug-in hybrids to pure battery electrics and the hydrogen fuel cell Mirai, 23 years after the Prius hit the market. All of the company’s automobiles will be available in electric form by the year 2025. The manufacturer hopes the new Mirai will aid in achieving its goal of 25% of U.S. sales coming from EVs, which it has set for itself to achieve in five years.
The chicken and egg issue with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is similar to that with battery electric vehicles. Although there aren’t many hydrogen refueling stations, without them automakers have been slow to create hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Hydrogen stations are still few and far between when compared to petrol stations, but that is beginning to change. California presently has the most public hydrogen stations of any state with 43. By the summer of 2022, another 21 are anticipated to be operational, including seven stations from the fuel supplier Iwatani in Southern California that will start to operate this summer.
The 2021 Mirai will only be offered in Los Angeles and San Francisco when it goes on sale this month due to the relative quantity of hydrogen stations in California. However, Toyota is offering 21 days of free rental automobiles for journeys that may depart from regions with easy access to hydrogen fuel. Additionally, the business will give out three years’ worth of hydrogen fuel.
Why would someone pick a hydrogen fuel cell car over a battery-powered one? The upfront cost of hydrogen fuel cell EVs is more in line with a comparable gas-powered vehicle because to the free fuel, a $4,500 rebate from the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, and a $8,000 federal tax credit.
Eight percent of Americans live in apartments, where they would not have access to EV chargers. They can instead refill at a public hydrogen station, which takes five minutes to fill up like a petrol station.
Moreover, wildfires. Hydrogen is still available because to its independence from the grid, even though California experiences a perpetual wildfire season that occasionally forces utilities to take preventative measures like shutting down.
Any new technology must outperform the one it aims to replace in order to be successful. Toyota makes a strong argument for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles with the 2021 Mirai that just might rescue the company from obscurity.
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.