Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle unveiled

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 favorite 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 makes that are heading down the Hydrogen fuel road with their cars. I am a keen follower of the market trends and the direction that the green way forward is heading and that includes the battle that is rising between the EV vehicles and battery technology and 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 giants, GM. Apparently GM have 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 particularly import to Japan. Where Toyota, Honda and Nissan are key contributors to Japans economy and where the industry together accounts for 10% of the national workforce and 20% of exports. To me it is a good thing that Japan are thinking about supporting the home industry and developing these new products will bring stability to the home workforce.

It does though 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 dis-advantages. 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 places. However, this will mean that they could be just 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 then the hydrogen car wins there.

At the time of writing this post. Both cars are doing about the same mileage! Subsequently, also both types of cars are still very expensive to buy. Hydrogen cars can be re-fueled the same as a gas engine. Whilst the battery car has to be charged up over a long period. Although scientists are working on a faster charge 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.