Earlier this we read about Honda revealing its successor to the Hydrogen powered FCX Clarity – the FCV. Honda plans to put the FCV into production by March 2016. Toyota has recently invested heavily in Hydrogen technology and has revealed the Toyota Mirai. The Mirai will go on sale next year (2015) in California but will also stretch to other American states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.

How does the Mirai work?

The Toyota Mirai’s Hydrogen fuel system works by combining Hydrogen gas with Oxygen to create electricity that powers an electric motor that drives the wheels. Power is claimed to be 113 kW whilst the range of a full tank will reach close to 500km.

The word Mirai means future in Japanese and whilst it’s all good and well having a car of the future, the infrastructure to fuel it needs to be set in place. That’s why Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz announced a new commitment to drive the development of a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in five north-eastern U.S. states.

Building a national infrastructure

“Toyota’s vision of a hydrogen society is not just about building a great car, but ensuring accessible, reliable and convenient refuelling for our customers,” said Jim Lentz. “I am happy to announce that this vision will expand beyond the borders of California and give customers the opportunity to join the fuel cell movement.”

A fuel cell car can be filled up in about the same time as a regular petrol or diesel car and returns similar mileage but it emits nothing but water vapour from its tailpipe. One of the issues with hydrogen cars however is cost and the new Mirai is said to set an owner back around R600000. However the US may incentivise Hydrogen cars, bringing down the cost to around R450000 and throwing in three years’ worth of free Hydrogen fuel.

It’s certainly worth watching how this plays out over the next few years as Hydrogen still seems like the most viable solution to our fossil fuel problems.