Toyota Mirai

Toyota Mirai (series JPD10)

Toyota Mirai
Overview
Manufacturer Toyota
Production 2015-present
Assembly Japan: Toyota, Aichi (Motomachi plant)[1]
Body and chassis
Class Mid-size
Body style 4-door sedan
Layout Front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout
Related Toyota FCV concept
Powertrain
Electric motor Fuel cell-powered 113 kW (152 hp) 335 N·m (247 lbf·ft)[2]
Transmission 1-speed Prundletronic
Battery 1.6 kWh Nickel-metal hydride[3][4]
Range 502 km (312 mi) (EPA)[5]
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,780 mm (109.4 in)[2]
Length 4,890 mm (192.5 in)[2]
Width 1,815 mm (71.5 in)[2]
Height 1,535 mm (60.4 in)[2]
Curb weight 1,850 kg (4,078.6 lb)[2]

The Toyota Mirai (From mirai (未来), Japanese for "future") is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, one of the first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to be sold commercially.[6][7] The Mirai was unveiled at the November 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show.[8] Toyota planned to build 700 vehicles for global sales during 2015.[9]

Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cycle, the 2016 model year Mirai has a total range of 502 km (312 mi) on a full tank, with a combined city/highway fuel economy rating of 66 mpg-US (3.6 L/100 km; 79 mpg-imp) equivalent (MPG-equivalent), making the Mirai the most fuel efficient hydrogen fuel cell vehicle rated by the EPA, and the one with the largest range.[5]

Sales in Japan began on 15 December 2014 at a price of ¥6.7 million (~US$57,400) at Toyota Store and Toyopet Store locations. The Japanese government plans to support the commercialization of fuel-cell vehicles with a subsidy of ¥2 million (~US$19,600).[10] Retail sales in the U.S. began in August 2015 at a price of US$57,500 before any government incentives. Deliveries to retail customers began in California in October 2015.[11] Toyota scheduled to release the Mirai in the Northeastern States in the first half of 2016.[9] The market release in Europe was slated for September 2015, and initially will be available only in the UK, Germany and Denmark, followed by other countries in 2017.[12] Pricing in Germany starts at €60,000 (~US$75,140) plus VAT (€78,540) .[12]

History

FCV concept

The Mirai is based on the Toyota FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) concept car, which was unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.[13] The unveiled FCV concept was a bright blue sedan shaped like a drop of water "to emphasize that water is the only substance that hydrogen-powered cars emit from their tailpipes." The FCV has a large grille and other openings to allow cooling air and oxygen intake for use by the fuel cell. According to Toyota, the FCV concept is close in appearance to the expected production version of the car.[14] The FCV size is similar to the Toyota Camry.[15] The FCV range is expected to be approximately 700 km (430 mi) under Japan's JC08 test cycle.[16]

Toyota FCV concept car

According to Toyota, the FCV features a fuel cell system with an output power density of 3.0 kW/L, which is twice as high as that of its previous fuel cell concept, the Toyota FCHV-adv, delivering an output power of more than 100 kW, despite significant unit downsizing. The FCV uses Toyota's proprietary, small, light-weight fuel cell stack and two 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen tanks placed beneath the specially designed body. The Toyota FCV concept can accommodate up to four occupants. For the full-scale market launch in 2015, the cost of the fuel cell system is expected to be 95% lower than that of the 2008 Toyota FCHV-adv.[17]

The FCV concept also uses the Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology including the electric motor, power control unit and other parts and components from its hybrid vehicles to improve reliability and minimize cost.[17] The hybrid technology is also used to work together with the fuel cell. At low speeds such as city driving, the FCV runs just like any all-electric car by using the energy stored in its battery, which is charged through regenerative braking. At higher speeds, the hydrogen fuel cell alone powers the electric motor. When more power is needed, for example during sudden acceleration, the battery supports the fuel cell system as both work together to provide propulsion.[18]

In June 2014 Toyota showcased an FCV with an exterior design close to production, and announced details about pricing in Japan and set a domestic market launch before April 2015 with initial sales limited to regions where hydrogen refueling infrastructure is being developed.[19]

Timeline

Toyota FCHV-adv SUV in 2010

Testing

Toyota began fuel cell development in Japan in the early 1990s and has developed a series of fuel cell vehicles, subjecting them to more than 1,609,345 km (1,000,000 miles) of road testing. Since 2012, fuel cell test vehicles have logged thousands of miles on North American roads. This includes hot testing in Death Valley, cold testing in Yellowknife, Canada, steep grade hill climbs in San Francisco and high altitude trips in Colorado. The Toyota-designed carbon fiber hydrogen tanks have also undergone extreme testing to ensure their strength and durability in a crash.[36]

Specifications

Mirai cutaway showing the electric traction motor and power control unit in the front, the fuel cell stack in the middle, and the nickel-metal hydride traction rechargeable battery above the hydrogen storage tanks in the rear.

The Mirai uses the Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), which features both fuel cell technology and hybrid technology, and includes proprietary Toyota-developed components including the fuel cell (FC) stack, FC boost converter, and high-pressure hydrogen tanks. The TFCS is more energy-efficient than internal combustion engines and emits no CO2 at the point of operation or substances of concern (SOCs) when driven. The system accelerates Mirai from 0 to 97 km/h (0 to 60 mph) in 9.0 seconds and delivers a passing time of 3 seconds from 40 to 64 km/h (25 to 40 mph). The Mirai refueling takes between 3 and 5 minutes, and Toyota expected a total range of 480 kilometres (300 mi) miles on a full tank.[36] The Mirai has a button labeled  H2O that opens a gate at the rear, dumping the water vapor that forms from the hydrogen-oxygen reaction in the fuel cell.[3] The exhaust  H2O or water volume is 240 mL per 4 km running.[37]

Fuel economy and range

Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cycle, the 2016 model year Mirai has a range of 502 km (312 mi) on a full tank, with a combined city/highway fuel economy rating of 66 mpg-US (3.6 L/100 km; 79 mpg-imp) equivalent (MPG-equivalent).[5] The following table compares the Mirai with other FCVs available for leasing in California as of August 2015.[5]

Comparison of fuel economy expressed in MPGe for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
available for leasing in California and rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as of August 2015[5]
Vehicle Model year Combined
fuel economy 		City
fuel economy		 Highway
fuel economy		Range Annual
fuel cost
Toyota Mirai201666 mpg-e66 mpg-e 66 mpg-e312 mi (502 km)US$1,250
Honda FCX Clarity 201459 mpg-e58 mpg-e 60 mpg-e231 mi (372 km)NA
Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell201650 mpg-e49 mpg-e 51 mpg-e265 mi (426 km)US$1,700
Notes: One kg of hydrogen is roughly equivalent to one U.S. gallon of gasoline.

Fuel cell stack

The new Toyota FC Stack achieves a maximum output of 114 kW (153 hp). Electricity generation efficiency has been enhanced through the use of 3D fine mesh flow channels. These channels—a world first, according to Toyota—are arranged in a fine three-dimensional lattice structure and enhance the dispersion of air (oxygen), thereby enabling uniform generation of electricity on cell surfaces. This, in turn, provides a compact size and a high level of performance, including the stack’s world-leading power output density of 3.1 kW/L (2.2 times higher than that of the previous Toyota FCHV-adv limited-lease model), or 2.0 kW/kg. Each stack comprises 370 (single-line stacking) cells, with a cell thickness of 1.34 mm and weight of 102 g. The compact Mirai FC stack generates about 160 times more power than the residential fuel cells on sale in Japan.[36] The Mirai has a new compact (13-liter), high-efficiency, high-capacity converter developed to boost voltage generated in the Toyota FC Stack to 650 volts.[36]

High-pressure hydrogen tanks

The FCV concept used high pressure Type IV hydrogen tanks.

The Mirai has two hydrogen tanks with a three-layer structure made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic consisting of nylon 6 from Ube Industries[38] and other materials. The tanks store hydrogen at 70 MPa (10,000 psi). The tanks have a combined weight 87.5 kg (193 lb).[2][36]

Electric traction motor and battery

Toyota's latest generation hybrid components were used extensively in the fuel cell powertrain, including the electric motor, power control and main battery. The electric traction motor delivers 113 kilowatts (152 hp) and 335 N·m (247 lbf·ft) of torque. The Mirai has a 245V (1.6 kWh) sealed nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) traction rechargeable battery pack, similar to the one used in the Toyota Camry hybrid.[3][4][36]

Safety

At Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Center, the Mirai has been subjected to extensive crash testing to evaluate a design specifically intended to address frontal, side and rear impacts and to provide excellent protection of vehicle occupants. A high level of collision safety has also been achieved to help protect the fuel cell stack and high-pressure tanks against body deformation. The high pressure hydrogen tanks have excellent hydrogen permeation prevention performance, strength, and durability. Hydrogen sensors provide warnings and can shut off tank main stop valves. The hydrogen tanks and other hydrogen-related parts are located outside the cabin to ensure that if hydrogen leaks, it will dissipate easily. The vehicle structure is enhanced with carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers from Toray[39] and designed to disperse and absorb impact energy across multiple parts to ensure a high-impact safety performance that protects the Toyota FC Stack and high-pressure hydrogen tanks during frontal, side or rear impacts.[36]

Infrastructure

As of January 2013, Japan had ten demonstration hydrogen fueling stations.[40] Toyota operates three of these stations.[41] To support commercialization of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles by Toyota and other manufacturers, the Japanese government has announced a goal to build approximately 100 hydrogen fueling stations by March 2016 in Japanese cities where the vehicles are planned to be launched initially.[42] California also has ten hydrogen fueling stations, and the government provided about $47 million for 28 additional stations there.[15]

Production

Production of the fuel cell parts began in the Toyota Boshoku factory in November 2014.[43]

Markets and sales

The Toyota Mirai was unveiled at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show
Toyota Mirai which runs as a car for the umpire in Nagoya Women's Marathon 2015.

In January 2015 it was announced that production of the Mirai fuel cell vehicle would increase from 700 units in 2015 to approximately 2,000 in 2016 and 3,000 in 2017.[44]

Japan

Sales in Japan began on December 15, 2014.[45] Pricing starts at ¥6,700,000 (~US$57,400) before taxes and a government incentive of ¥2,000,000 (~US$19,600).[10] Initially sales are limited to government and corporate customers. As of December 2014, domestic orders had already reached over 400 Mirais, surpassing Japan's first-year sales target, and as a result, there is a waiting list of more than a year.[45] The dimensions of the Mirai place it in a higher tax bracket outlined in the Japanese Governments dimension regulations, and the weight of the vehicle is also taxed annually during the annual road tax obligation.

The Japanese government also provides a subsidy of 50% of the installation costs, with ¥7,200,000,000 (~US$61.7 million) allocated for fiscal year 2014.[46] A hydrogen station in Japan costs ¥280,000,000 (~US$2.4 million) which is about ¥150,000,000 (~US$1.29 million) more than in Europe which allows more generic materials.

Toyota delivered the first market placed Mirai to the Prime Minister's Official Residence and announced it got 1,500 orders in Japan in one month after sales began on December 15, 2014 against a sales target of 400 for 12 months.[47][48]

United States

Deliveries to retail customers began in California in October 2015. A total of 57 units were delivered between October and November 2015.[11] Toyota scheduled to release the Mirai in the five Northeastern States in the first half of 2016 as hydrogen fueling infrastructure is built in the Boston and New York regions. Toyota will provide free hydrogen fueling for the first three years to initial buyers of the Mirai, just as Hyundai does for lessees of its Hyundai Tucson-ix35 Fuel Cell in California.[9][49] Toyota expects cumulative sales of 3,000 Mirais in the U.S. by the end of 2017.[9]

In the American market the 2016 model year Toyota Mirai will start at US$57,500 before any government incentives, and a leasing option for 36 months will be available with a US$3,649 down payment and a lease rate of US$499 per month. [9][49][50] Several states have established incentives and tax exemptions for fuel cell vehicles. As a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV), the Mirai will be eligible for a purchase rebate in California of US$5,000 through the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project.[51] The existing federal tax credit for fuel cell vehicles originally expired on 31 December 2014,[49][52] but was retroactively extended through 31 December 2016.[52]

Europe

The market launch in Europe is slated for September 2015.[9] The UK, Germany and Denmark are the first European countries where the Mirai will be released, followed by additional markets in 2017.[12] In Germany, pricing starts at €60,000 (~US$75,140) plus VAT.[12] Former European Parliament President Pat Cox estimates that Toyota will initially lose between €50,000 to €100,000 (US$60,000 to US$133,000) on each Mirai sold in 2015.[53]

Recognition

The Toyota Mirai won the 2016 World Green Car of the Year Award, announced at the 2016 New York International Auto Show.[54]

Marketing

In 2015, Toyota released a series of video commercials for the Mirai entitled Fueled By..., showing how hydrogen to power fuel cells like the ones that Mirais use could come from various unexpected sources.[55] The last one, entitled Fueled by the Future, featured Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and YouTube science personality Go Tech Yourself, doubled as a tribute to the Back to the Future franchise and illustrated how the idea of converting trash into fuel (which had been introduced with the "Mr. Fusion" reactor that Dr. Emmett Brown (Lloyd) had brought back from the future at the end of the first film) had become reality. The commercial was released on October 21 - the same date in 2015 that Marty McFly (Fox), Jennifer Parker (Claudia Wells/Elizabeth Shue) and Brown traveled to in Back to the Future Part II.

Gallery

Toyota FCV concept car
Frontal view 
3/4 front 
Rear view 
3/4 rear 
Fuel cell badge 
Hydrogen fuel filler 
Toyota Mirai
2016 Toyota Mirai 
Frontal view 
Rear view 
Mirai instrument panel 

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Japanese Production Sites". Toyota. 2015-03-06. Archived from the original on 2015-03-18.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mark Kane (2014-11-18). "Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Sedan Priced At $57,500 – Specs, Videos". InsideEVs.com. Retrieved 2014-11-19.
  3. 1 2 3 Wayne Cunningham (2014-11-19). "Toyota Mirai: The 300-mile zero-emission vehicle". CNET. Retrieved 2014-11-21. The Mirai has a 245-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack, similar to that in the Camry Hybrid.
  4. 1 2 Josh Pihl (January 2014). "Table 33. Batteries for Selected Hybrid-Electric Vehicles, Model Years 2013-2014". Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Retrieved 2014-11-21. The Toyota Camry Hybrid uses a 1.6 kWh NiMH battery.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 United States Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy (2015-08-14). "Compare Fuel Cell Vehicles". fueleconomy.gov. Retrieved 2015-08-17. One kg of hydrogen is roughly equivalent to one U.S. gallon of gasoline.
  6. ↑ "Toyota Unveils 2015 Fuel Cell Sedan, Will Retail in Japan For Around ¥7 Million". transportevolved.com. 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
  7. ↑ "What is a Fuel Cell Vehicle?". Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  8. ↑ Millikin, Mike (2014-11-17). "Akio Toyoda announces name of Toyota’s new fuel cell sedan in web video: Mirai". Green Car Congress. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 John Voelcker (2014-11-18). "2016 Toyota Mirai Priced At $57,500, With $499 Monthly Lease". Green Car Reports. Retrieved 2014-11-19.
  10. 1 2 Ken Moritsugu (2014-11-18). "oyota to start sales of fuel cell car next month". Associated Press (Fox News Chicago). Retrieved 2014-11-19.
  11. 1 2 John Voelcker (2015-12-14). "Portable Hydrogen Fuelers Go To Six Toyota Mirai Dealers As Stations Lag". Green Car Reports. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Toyota Ushers In The Future With Launch Of ‘Mirai’ Fuel Cell Sedan" (Press release). Toyota City, Japan: Toyota Europe. 2014-11-01. Retrieved 2014-11-18.
  13. 1 2 "Toyota Shows Off Fuel-Cell Automobile". 2013-11-20. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  14. ↑ Eric Pfanner (2013-11-20). "Toyota Shows Off Fuel-Cell Automobile". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-11-18.
  15. 1 2 "Toyota to Offer $69,000 Car After Musk Pans ‘Fool Cells’". 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Toyota's Approach to Fuel Cell Vehicles". 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  17. 1 2 Mike Millikin (2014-03-11). "Toyota continues to prepare the market for fuel cell vehicle in 2015". Green Car Congress. Retrieved 2014-11-18.
  18. ↑ Toyota Europe. "Fuel Cell Technology - Another step towards sustainable mobility". Toyota Europe. Retrieved 2014-11-18.
  19. ↑ Mike Millikin (2014-06-25). "Toyota to launch its fuel cell vehicle in Japan before April 2015, priced around $68,700; reveals exterior". Green Car Congress. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
  20. ↑ "Toyota and Daihatsu to Present "New Dream-filled Mobility"". 2001-10-17. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  21. ↑ "Fuel-Cell-Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV) E. Peled, Tel Aviv University" (PDF). February 2009. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  22. ↑ "It's the world's smallest". Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  23. ↑ "Government Gives Up on Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars". May 11, 2009. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  24. ↑ "GM, Toyota Fuel-Cell Plans Clash With U.S. Battery Car Push". 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  25. ↑ "Trial servicing Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV-BUS)". Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  26. ↑ "TMC, Hino to Provide Fuel-cell Bus for Tokyo Airport Routes". Dec 7, 2010. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  27. ↑ "Toyota’s Prius Chief Engineer Reveals the Future of the Automobile. Part Two: What Will We Drive In 10 Years?". 2011-11-14. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  28. ↑ "Toyota FCV-R concept brings fuel cell cars closer to reality, aiming for 2015 launch". Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  29. ↑ "Tokyo motor show 2011: Toyota FCV-R". 30 Nov 2011. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  30. ↑ "Toyota Launches New EV, But Doesn’t Really Mean It. A Report From Green Hell". 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  31. ↑ "Daily Kanban drives Toyota’s 2015 fuel cell car, talks to its father". 2013-10-10. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  32. ↑ "Live pictures of Toyota’s hydrogen-powered fuel-cell car". 2013-11-20. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  33. ↑ "Toyota launches fuel cell car in earnest, and with a few puns". June 25, 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  34. ↑ Michael Szostech. "2016 Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Sedan Product Information". My Toyota Mirai. My Electric Car Forums. Retrieved 2014-11-20.
  35. ↑ "Toyota takes car-tech "Back To the Future"—again". Fortune (magazine). 2015-10-21. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mike Millikin (2014-11-18). "Toyota FCV Mirai launches in LA; initial TFCS specs; $57,500 or $499 lease; leaning on Prius analogy". Green Car Congress. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
  37. ↑ "加速力に驚き、ミライの走りを体感　燃料電池車に試乗" [Trial run, surprising accellation and felt FCV MIRAI's running.] (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. 2014-11-20. Retrieved 2014-11-25.
  38. ↑ Alperowicz, Natasha (2014-12-08). "Ube Industries' new nylon resin to be used in Toyota fuel-cell vehicles". Chemical Week. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
  39. ↑ Takata, Kenichi; Monozukuri, Nikkei (2014-11-21). "Toray's Thermoptastic CFRP employed for Toyota's fuel-cell vehicle". Nikkei Technology. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  40. ↑ "JX Energy Planning 40 Hydrogen Refuelling Stations in Japan by 2015", FuelCellToday.com, January 14, 2013, accessed June 27, 2014
  41. ↑ "A vehicle running on hydrogen". Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  42. ↑ "Japan Bets Big on Making Fuel-Cell Cars a Near-Future Reality", Reuters, NDTV.com, June 25, 2014
  43. ↑ Toyota (2014-11-21). "Toyota Boshoku starts production of Fuel Cell parts by applying its proprietary technologies" (Press release). Tokyo: Automotive World. Retrieved 2014-11-22.
  44. ↑ "Toyota Mirai production to be increased" (Press release). UK: Toyota. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
  45. 1 2 Yoko Kubota (2014-12-15). "Toyota’s Fuel-Cell Car Mirai Goes on Sale". Japan Real Time (Wall Street Journal). Retrieved 2014-12-29.
  46. ↑ Shigenobu Watanabe (2014-06-19). "Hydrogen infrastructure related issue in Japan" (PDF). New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Retrieved 2014-11-29.
  47. ↑ "首相「水素時代の幕開け」…規制緩和を加速へ" [Opening of hydrogen age, accelerate deregulations]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 2015-01-16. Retrieved 2015-01-16. Yomiuri Shimbun Ver.13S page 1
  48. ↑ Mihalascu, Dan (2015-01-15). "Toyota Gets 1,500 Orders for the Mirai in Japan in One Month". Car Scoops.
  49. 1 2 3 Cobb, Jeff (2014-11-17). "Toyota Mirai To Be Priced From $57,500". HybridCars.com. Retrieved 2014-11-30. Toyota announced a total subsidy of US$13,000 for the Mirai in California but did not note that the expiration date for federal FCV subsidies is set at end of this year. Asked about this issue Toyota said it is hoping that the present federal subsides will be extended.
  50. ↑ King, Danny (2015-04-15). "Toyota's Mirai fuel cell car gets its own special showroom". AutoBlog. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
  51. ↑ "CVRP Eligible Vehicles - Zero-Emission Vehicles: Hydrogen Fuel Cell". Center for Sustainable Energy California. Retrieved 2014-11-29.
  52. 1 2 "Fuel Cell Motor Vehicle Tax Credit". US: Alternative Fuels Data Center. 2014-06-04. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  53. ↑ Blanco, Sebastian (2014-11-12). "Bibendum 2014: Former EU President says Toyota could lose 100,000 euros per hydrogen FCV sedan". Autoblog Green. Retrieved 2014-12-06.
  54. ↑ "And Now There Is One… TOYOTA MIRAI Wins 2016 World Green Car Award" (Press release). New York City: PR Newswire. 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  55. ↑ Toyota Mirai "Fueled By" Commercials Toyota

External links

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