By Steve & Tamami Laser
Toyota has named its new fuel cell vehicle “Mirai” which means “future” in Japanese. Up to now it’s been known as “FCV.” The new Mirai will go on sale in Japan in December 2014 with U.S. sales slated to begin in fall 2015.
Toyota Motor Co. President Akio Toyoda announced the name of the car in the video that we’ve posted below. The second video is the full, hour-long Mirai launch event in Odaiba (near Tokyo) for the Japanese media.
This is a significant event in Toyota’s history, so if you don’t have time to view the full press event in the video below, be sure to bookmark this post and come back again. (The video includes real-time translation in English.)
In separate news, Toyota USA says that when Mirai enters the U.S. market in 2015, its customers can take advantage of Mirai’s $499 per month/36 month lease option, with $3,649 due at lease signing, or purchase the vehicle for $57,500. With combined state and federal incentives of $13,000 available to many customers, the purchase price could potentially fall to under $45,000.
The vehicle will be matched by a comprehensive, 360-degree Ownership Experience offering a range of services, including:
- 24/7 concierge service, with calls answered by a dedicated fuel cell representative;
- 24/7 enhanced roadside assistance, including towing, battery, flat tire assistance, trip interruption reimbursement, and loaner vehicle;
- Three years of Toyota Care maintenance, which covers all recommended factory maintenance, up to 12,000 miles annually;
- Eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on fuel cell components;
- Entune and three years of complimentary Safety Connect, including hydrogen station map app; and,
- Complimentary hydrogen fuel for up to three years.
Mirai is an all-electric, four-door sedan that makes its own electricity on board. It utilizes the same hybrid technology developed for Toyota’s hybrid synergy drive systems but replaces the gasoline engine with a fuel cell stack.
It features hydrogen fuel tanks (the hydrogen is a compressed gas, similar to a natural gas vehicle), an electric motor, a fuel cell stack, a small battery and a power control unit. The hydrogen gas is fed into the fuel cell stack where it’s combined with oxygen.
The hydrogen and oxygen move through the fuel cell stack and create a chemical reaction, producing electricity to power the vehicle. Toyota says it takes less than five minutes to refuel, has a range of 300 miles and the only emission from the tailpipe is water vapor.
News source, photos and videos from Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Vehicle specifications and prices are subject to change without notice.
Story ©2014 CarNichiWa