Second gen Mirai coming

Toyota intends launching its second-generation hydrogen fuel cell powered Mirai next year.

Perhaps that’s in time for the Tokyo Olympics starting July 24, where Toyota is parading a variety of fuel cell EVs (FCEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and other low or zero emission transport forms.

While details are scarce around the next Mirai, it’s expected to be available in both New Zealand and Australia, with production likely in 2022.

That would allow time for a start on hydrogen infrastructure, with New Zealand’s Ports of Auckland intending to have its hydrogen refuelling station ready by mid to late 2020 and Australia also gearing up for hydrogen.

Hyundai already has demonstration FCEV Nexo SUV models in New Zealand with up to 666km range and a portable hydrogen refuelling unit to support them. The Nexo could be available for sale in New Zealand within about two years.

FCEVs are expensive.

Toyota expects Mirai prices (about US$58,000 there) to eventually drop to be on par with similar hybrid cars within 10 years, but whether that includes the 2020 model isn’t yet known.

The present Mirai has a 113kW/335Nm electric motor driving the front wheels powered by a fuel cell stack which takes hydrogen from two large on-board tanks and oxygen from the atmosphere, making electricity and water vapour.

It has about 502km range.

The medium-sized FCEV Mirai car has been offered in several markets, including California, Canada and Scandinavia since 2014.

FCEV forklifts are used commercially in countries like Japan and the USA.

Toyota says the next five years will see more FCEV models introduced in medium-size and large cars, buses, trucks, vans and trains.