The range is around 250km, depending on conditions.
The Toyota Mirai.
Toyota says the Mirai has “Lexus DNA” in its interior and exterior finish.
As with all hydrogen-powered vehicles, the only emission is a small amount of water.
It’s a one- to two-day rental and has to be returned to Palmerston North Airport.
Refuelling takes three to five minutes.
Palmerston North Airport is the only location outside Auckland with hydrogen refuelling infrastructure currently in place, Toyota says.
Hamilton and Tauranga are potential future locations as the network grows, but nothing is confirmed, the company says.
The Mirai’s dashboard. Toyota says its interior and extior fiinishes “share DNA” with the Lexus.
Taranaki-based clean energy company Hiringa Energy was founded in 2017 and received a Covid-era $16 million government loan to build a series of refuelling stations, including infrastructure for hydrogen trucks, imported by fleet-leasing company TR Group. Hiringa was co-founded by its chairwoman, Cathhy Clennett (ex Todd Group), with Japan’s Mitsui and Sir Stephen Tindall as early backers.
Hiringa is also partnering on wind and solar projects to produce green hydrogen for its “golden triangle” of refuelling stations for heavy vehicles in the upper North Island at Wiri, south of Auckland, Te Rapa and Tauranga.
“Green” hydrogen is produced on site. (A key issue with the clean fuel technology is whether fossil fuels are used to produce it. So-called “grey hydrogen” is a lot cheaper – going by Auckland start-up CullBeck’s account – but undermines the clean energy story.)
The first “customer” for a Mirai rental, Manawatū Mayor Grant Smith, beside Hiringa’s hydrogen refuelling station.
‘Fundamental physical advantages over petrol’
Whenever the Herald mentions hydrogen cars, there are questions about safety.
The Mirai has a full five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (Ancap) safety rating and there has never been a fire involving the vehicle.
The Mirai has a full five-star Ancap safety rating.
“Hydrogen has an excellent safety record and some fundamental physical advantages over petrol,” Toyota said.
“While hydrogen is a flammable gas, we’ve used cutting-edge technology and engineering to make fuel cell electric vehicles as safe as conventional internal combustion engines. Because hydrogen is much lighter than air, any accidental release disperses rapidly upward rather than pooling at ground level.”
What happens if you get into an accident?
“The Mirai’s hydrogen tanks are made from high-strength carbon fibre and are designed to withstand significant impact,” Toyota said.
“It is extremely unlikely that the Mirai’s tanks could leak, but in order to address all eventualities, there are further safety measures to protect against this occurring.”
Sensors that can detect traces of hydrogen are placed strategically around the tanks and if a leak is detected, they will shut the safety valves and turn off the car itself, the car maker says.
Toyota Mirai cars outside Hiringa’s Palmerston North hydrogen refuelling station. An on-site electrolyser takes municipal water and uses electricity to split it into hydrogen and oxygen.
As a third layer of safety, the cabin is separated from the hydrogen compartment. If any leak were to occur, hydrogen would disperse into the atmosphere and not the car’s interior, Toyota said.
The Mirai is essentially a technology showcase for hydrogen’s potential.
One of the few places the vehicle is for sale – and one of the few places with something approaching a public hydrogen refuelling network – is California, where a Mirai costs from US$53,090 ($91,089).
Toyota’s primary clean car thrust has been in hybrids, but it has increasingly been expanding into full battery-electric vehicles, including the Hilux BEV and bZ4X fully-electric SUV.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.