Toyota has finally released its vision of the
future—their long awaited, 20-years-in-the-making, fuel cell vehicle
(FCV) they have christened
Mirai.
“Mirai,”
for those of you not fluent in Japanese, translates to “future,” and we
were invited to Newport Beach, CA to be among the first to drive
pre-production versions of the vehicles Toyota hopes will help usher in a
future where hydrogen fuel eliminates our dependence on fossil fuels.
© Eric Rogell
If you remember, in October of 2013, we were
invited to Japan to test drive the heavily “Frankensteined” mules
Toyota was using for testing, to see how the powertrain worked. Now we
not only know exactly how the Mirai will drive, but also what the
exterior and interior will look like.
For those of you who don’t
have time to read the whole review, here’s the Mirai in a nutshell:
Think of it as the love child of a Camry and a
Prius (because it kind of is, but more on that below).
For everyone else, here’s what to expect from the new Mirai:
The Look
Satoshi Ogiso, Managing Officer of Toyota Motor Corporation, told us,
“If the name of your car is Future, it better look futuristic.” So the
Mirai looks unlike any Toyota before it. It gets a sharp, angular hood
that appears to be floating above the front end, with thin, multi-bulb
headlamps lighting the way. Below that is the most striking feature on
the Mirai, the gigantic twin vents that ride on either side of the front
bumper.
© Toyota
Not
just a design element, these vents are functional, sucking in large
quantities of oxygen to be pulled into the fuel stack to join the
hydrogen in creating electricity. And the water vapor emitted out of the
tailpipe.
© Toyota
The
profile gets flowing lines and wide rear fender bulges, meant to
“convey the transformation of air into water,” the underlying function
of Mirai’s powerplant.
Just like the Prius’s design when it came
out, the Mirai’s exterior look is polarizing. Some cringed when it was
revealed, some loved it. Very few, if any, were noncommittal. Whichever
side of the fence you ride, it’s a bold statement for Toyota design.
According to Ogisio, the exterior is meant to provoke the question, “What’s that?” Mission accomplished.
© Toyota
Inside,
looking forward from the driver’s seat, the Mirai is decidedly Prius.
The thin instrument panel that rides the top of the dash, and the center
stack with its touch screen, touch controls (there are only two real
knobs to be found), and mini shifter will be instantly recognizable as
coming from the Prius family. And this, says Ogisio, is intentional. It
gives the Mirai the feeling of open and uncluttered space, and a sense
of familiarity to fans of the company’s first hybrid.
Mirai’s
seats also feature the latest technological advancements from Toyota.
The cushions and covers are produced as a single piece, rather than
material over foam, giving more support and better comfort. Both the
driver’s and front passenger’s seats come standard with 8-way power
controls.
© Toyota
Actually,
everything on the Mirai comes standard. It only comes in one trim,
fully loaded with everything Toyota could pack into it, including tech
like Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep.
© Eric Rogell
Except
for a single option: the “power out” port you can use to turn the Mirai
into a rolling electric generator. Yes, the Mirai can power the average
home for up to a week with both onboard hydrogen tanks filled. Not a
bad option to check off on the order sheet if you live in a storm prone
area, or your idea of camping includes lights, air conditioning, and
hair dryers.
© Toyota
The Ride
If you’re a fan of the Prius or the Camry Hybrid, you will love the
Mirai. That’s because it runs on essentially the same hybrid system.
Toyota simply replaced the combustion engine with the fuel cell stack
and hydrogen tanks. The batteries and electric drive are the same.The
numbers are similar to Prius numbers as well: 151 horsepower and 247
lb-ft of torque from the electric motor, 153 hp from the fuel cell
stack, top speed of 111mph, and 0-60 in 9.0 seconds.
© Toyota
For
those torn between a plug in electric and an FCV, or hybrid drivers
wondering if the “fuel” economy is better, it has a range of up to three
times an electric, and hydrogen fuel has much denser energy than
gasonline. The Mirai will take you just over 300 miles with the just
over 5 kilos of hydrogen—about the equivalent of 5 gallons of
gasoline—it can hold in its two onboard tanks.
© Toyota
“For
all its technical wizardry, zero emissions, and bold styling,” says
Ogisio, “it needs to be, at the end of the day, a regular car.” And
that’s exactly what you get from the Mirai. That familiar whine from the
powerplant as you accelerate. A smooth, effortless ride. And while it’s
not as floaty and cloudlike as the Prius, the Mirai does provide a very
comfortable driving experience, with good driving dynamics.
That’s
really the bottom line with the Mirai: This fuel cell technology may be
in its infancy, but Toyota has infused the car with enough familiar
qualities, from the Prius-ish interior to the Camry-like ride, to make
the Mirai approachable and drivable for most drivers.
© Eric Rogell
Price and Availability
The Mirai’s inaugural year will be a limited one. They won’t be
available until the fall of 2015—and only about 200 units will be for
sale in California to qualified buyers who can prove they live and work
near a hydrogen fueling station. (Toyota expects to ramp up to 3000
Mirai for the 2017 model year.)But for those who do qualify,
and want to drive the future, the Toyota is offering a 36-month lease
for $499 per month. Or you can purchase the Mirai for $57,500—which
Toyota is estimating to drop to a final purchase price of about $45,000
after rebates and incentives.
© Toyota
New
Mirai owners also receive Toyota’s 360 Ownership Experience, including
24/7 concierge service (to help you with things like finding the closest
hydrogen fueling station), 24 hour roadside assistance, 3 years of
Toyota Care maintenance, and a comprehensive 8-year/100,000 mile
warranty.
The biggest plus is those early adopters who sign on to
buy the new Mirai will also get 3 years of free hydrogen fuel. You won’t
have to pay a dime to fuel your car. This is not so much an incentive
program from Toyota, as it is a logistics and systems issue because the
technology is so groundbreaking. Apparently the fuel is so new, no
one—from the local governments to the fuel producers—quite knows how to
charge for it yet. So rather than stall the rollout, FCV makers are
giving the fuel away.
Bottom Line
For a technology that’s as new as it is, the Mirai delivers a
surprisingly refined driving experience. With an affordable price tag
and 3 years of free fuel, you can go green and save a lot of green too.
