A new era of zero-emission mobility fueled by hydrogen has arrived with the Mirai.
The Japanese word for Mirai is “future,” yet in order for our innovative Toyota Fuel Cell System technology to be a success, it must be appealing to and available to people now. Despite having a cutting-edge drivetrain and utilizing a novel fuel, the Mirai is a typical mid-size, four-door sedan that is just as useful, secure, and simple to operate as a conventionally powered family car.
On a full tank of hydrogen, it will travel as far as a comparable-sized gasoline vehicle, and filling up from empty takes between three and five minutes. The benefits include a quiet, comfortable ride, high performance, and only water vapor emissions from the exhaust.
A interaction between hydrogen and oxygen generates energy in the Toyota Fuel Cell System seen in the Mirai.
In the same way that you purchase gasoline or diesel at a filling station, you refuel with hydrogen fuel. The fuel is kept in high-pressure tanks and pumped into a fuel cell stack, where the air’s hydrogen and oxygen interact to produce electricity.
Similar to a gasoline-electric hybrid, the voltage of the electricity is increased to power the electric motor. Every time the car brakes or slows down, more energy is stored in a battery, which results in even improved fuel efficiency.
We are the first company in the world to provide a system with a power density of 3.1 kW per liter thanks to our decades of research and development in hybrid electric technology.
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A Toyota Mirai runs on gas or electricity.
The 2022 Mirai is Toyota’s premium zero emission, rear-wheel drive fuel-cell electric vehicle. It was named one of Ward’s Automotive’s 10 Best Engine and Propulsion Systems winners for 2021, and it has a starting price of $49,500*. (FCEV).
Where can a Toyota Mirai get fuel?
Only Solution. A fueling station for the Mirai must adhere to the most recent Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) hydrogen fueling interface protocol standards or regulations that may replace such SAE requirements. The Mirai is a hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle.
Why is fuel made of hydrogen so expensive?
The majority of hydrogen utilized in the United States is generated on-site or nearby, often at sizable industrial facilities. It is still necessary to build the infrastructure for supplying hydrogen to the vast national network of fuelling stations needed for the widespread deployment of fuel cell electric vehicles. Building out these distribution networks is the primary objective of the initial rollout for vehicles and stations, which is predominantly done in southern and northern California.
Currently, there are three ways to deliver hydrogen:
Pipeline: This method is the least expensive for delivering large amounts of hydrogen, but it has a limited capacity due to the fact that there are only 1,600 miles of hydrogen transport pipes in the United States at the moment. These pipelines are situated close to significant chemical and petroleum refineries in Illinois, California, and the Gulf Coast.
High-Pressure Tube Trailers: High-Pressure Tube Trailers are expensive and are often used for transporting compressed hydrogen gas over lengths of 200 miles or fewer by truck, railway, ship, or barge.
Cryogenic liquefaction is a technique that cools hydrogen to a temperature where it turns into a liquid, producing liquefied hydrogen tankers. Despite the cost of the liquefaction process, hydrogen may be delivered by truck, railcar, ship, or barge over larger distances more effectively than using high-pressure tube trailers. If the rate of consumption of the liquefied hydrogen is insufficient, it will boil out (or evaporate) from its containment vessels. The distribution and consumption rates of hydrogen must be precisely coordinated as a result.
There are numerous difficulties in developing an infrastructure for hydrogen transport and distribution to thousands of individual fuelling stations in the future. Hydrogen is more expensive to transport, store, and deliver to the place of use than all other fuels because it has a lower energy density per unit volume than all other fuels. The initial capital expenses of constructing a new hydrogen pipeline network are considerable, and the properties of hydrogen create special difficulties in the design of compressors and pipeline materials. However, as hydrogen can be created from a wide range of resources, regional or even local hydrogen production can make the best use of available resources while reducing distribution issues.
Between centralized and distributed production, there are trade-offs to take into account. Centralized generation of hydrogen in sizable plants lowers production costs but raises delivery expenses. For instance, producing hydrogen at filling stations reduces distribution costs but raises production costs due to the expense of setting up on-site production facilities.
Research and development initiatives by the government and business are removing the obstacles to effective hydrogen delivery. The Office of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies has more information about hydrogen delivery.
What is the price to fill up a 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:
Is hydrogen fuel less expensive than regular fuel?
Although hydrogen fuel is four times more expensive than gasoline and about $16 per gallon, it is far more efficient than gasoline.
Can I refuel my automobile with hydrogen at home?
A three-car garage-sized space and nearly a million dollars’ worth of equipment would be needed to fill up a hydrogen car at home. Or, you could simply plug an electric vehicle into a power socket.
How much does hydrogen fuel cost?
The cost of the fuel isn’t low because the business is still in its early stages and is still learning how to store and transport hydrogen gas effectively. The price of one kilogram of hydrogen gas is roughly $16.
How long is the Mirai battery good for?
How frequently should a 2022 Toyota Mirai battery be changed? Every 3 to 5 years, however, you should have your battery checked regularly for sharp voltage drops to ensure it’s performing at a reliable level. Unless you have a high-performance battery, car batteries typically carry 12 to 13 volts.
What drawbacks come with driving a hydrogen vehicle?
- High prices for new vehicles
- elevated depreciation
- Charger issues could arise.
- Lack of infrastructure for hydrogen-powered vehicles
- limited number of vehicle options
- Technology is still developing.
- Large investments in R&D need
- hefty fuel prices
- safety issues
- Making hydrogen could not be environmentally favorable.
In addition to a scarcity of gas stations, many auto repair businesses also lack the expertise necessary for repairs and maintenance because most mechanics are still getting to know this relatively new technology.
As a result, if you experience problems with your hydrogen engine, it could be difficult for you to locate a mechanic.
Is buying Mirai worthwhile?
The Mirai has a luxuriously smooth ride, a tastefully finished interior, and a sturdy construction. Because of its rear-wheel-drive design and superior weight distribution, it drives through curves with remarkable composure. The Mirai is slightly more expensive than its rivals, and both passenger and cargo space are constrained.
What is used to fill a hydrogen car?
Vehicles fueled by hydrogen don’t require charging like a battery-electric vehicle does. They are refueled using hydrogen gas, which is pumped in the same secure and practical manner as a typical petrol or diesel car. The same length of time is required for filling up, between 3 and 5 minutes for a full tank.
Over 100 hydrogen fueling stations are already operational in Europe, and a pan-European program is already under progress to open more each year.
Are you still unsure about how to charge a hydrogen vehicle? See below for responses to some more frequently asked questions about fuel cell electric vehicles.
How much does it cost to fill up a tank of hydrogen?
According to the EPA’s methodology, it sees 60 miles per kilogram and can contain 6.3 kg of hydrogen. 380 miles is the most distance a Nexo owner may travel before having to refuel the tank, which will cost them around $100.
How durable are hydrogen fuel cells?
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).
What presents the biggest obstacle to using hydrogen as fuel?
The main technical challenge for hydrogen storage in transportation is how to fit the required amount of hydrogen for a typical driving range (>300 miles) within the vehicle’s weight, volume, efficiency, safety, and cost limits. Additionally, appropriate refueling times must be attained along with durability during the performance lifetime of these systems. There may be no weight restrictions or less stringent weight requirements for off-board bulk storage, but there may be volume or “footprint” requirements. In general, off-board bulk storage requirements are less stringent than on-board bulk storage requirements. The main difficulties consist of:
- Cost. In particular when compared to traditional storage systems for petroleum fuels, the price of on-board hydrogen storage systems is excessively expensive. Hydrogen storage systems require low-cost materials and components, as well as low-cost, high-volume manufacturing processes.
- Standards and Codes. There are currently no documented applicable rules and standards for hydrogen storage systems and interface technologies that would help with implementation and commercialization, guarantee public acceptability, and ensure safety. It is necessary to use standardized hardware and operational processes as well as suitable codes and standards.
- Time to refuel. Time spent refueling is excessive. Over the system’s lifetime, it is necessary to create hydrogen storage systems with refueling times of under three minutes.
- Efficiency. All hydrogen storage strategies have a hurdle with regard to energy efficiency. For reversible solid-state materials, the amount of energy needed to move hydrogen in and out is a problem. For chemical hydride storage in which the byproduct is regenerated off-board, life-cycle energy efficiency is a challenge. For compressed and liquid hydrogen technologies, it is also necessary to take into account the energy required for compression and liquefaction.
- Durability. Systems for storing hydrogen are not sufficiently durable. In order to create hydrogen storage systems with a lifetime of 1500 cycles, specific materials and components are required.
- Volume and weight. The range of current hydrogen-powered vehicles is insufficient when compared to those powered by conventional petroleum because the weight and volume of hydrogen storage systems are currently too high. All light-duty vehicle platforms require materials and components that enable hydrogen storage systems that are small, light, and have a range of more than 300 miles.
- Analysis of life-cycle and efficiency. The cost and effectiveness of hydrogen storage devices over their whole life cycle have not been thoroughly examined.
In the section on hydrogen storage of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office Multi-Year Research, Development, and Demonstration Plan, the technological goals to address these obstacles and direct the development of hydrogen storage technologies are outlined in depth.