Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle unveiled
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Toyota Mirai
Toyota Mirai
The Toyota Mirai is an electric-drive, mid-size four-door sedan powered by hydrogen, with a range of up to 300 miles, refuel time of about f…
This is just another part of the big mix of fuels that will power the cars of the near future.
Hydrogen cells are also the favourite of some car manufacturers. Including Toyota now with the Toyota Mirai and BMW. In my opinion, Hydrogen will be available at many filling stations in the future.
Toyota Mirai is one of the leaders in Hydrogen cell fueled cars
It has come to my attention that there are at least three leading car manufacturers that are heading down the hydrogen fuel road with their cars. I am a keen follower of market trends and the direction that the green way forward is heading, and that includes the battle that is rising between EV vehicles, battery Tec technology, the Hydrogen cell technology.
Apart from Toyota with the Toyota Mirai the other two players are Hyundai and Honda. Other car makers have also been involved with Hydrogen including the American giant GM. Apparently GM has been running a test fleet of them for a few years now, but it is the Far Eastern country’s car makers that are ahead of the field.
There are enemies of hydrogen as well as battery driven cars
But when the largest car company in the world looks interested in something, then it is time to sit up and take note. Toyota is a very experienced and successful manufacturer of cars and has made over 5,600 fuel cell-related patents available. Toyota has started off the motion for hydrogen-powered cars to make it to market at a faster pace.
The inclusion of the auto industry is of particular import to Japan.
Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are key contributors to Japan’s economy, and the industry together accounts for 10% of the national workforce and 20% of exports. To me it is a good thing that Japan is thinking about supporting the home industry, and developing these new products will bring stability to the home workforce.
It does have to make these technologies available to us all eventually to comply with European and American laws, but I think that the Japanese are thinking about this when they free off the patents for the new technology cars.
The scrap between battery power and hydrogen is on.
Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages. So, for instance, electric cars only require plug-in stations. Of course, to be re-charged. Significantly, the hydrogen cars will require a network of filling station locations. However, this will mean that they could just be added to the existing gas stations all over the world.
Both cars can claim to have zero emissions.
But the lithium-ion cars are re-charged by “dirty” coal-fired power stations. So are not as green as people think. Especially in countries like China! So, the hydrogen car only emits water, so until the power supplies are greener, the hydrogen car wins there.
At the time of writing this post. Both cars are getting about the same mileage! Subsequently, both types of cars are still very expensive to buy. Hydrogen cars can be re-fueled the same as a gas engine. While the battery car has to be charged up over a long period. Although scientists are working on a faster-charged battery all the time,.
Only time will tell which idea brings the most success, but you have to admit that it is interesting times that us auto guys live in.