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Toyota Mirai sets world record with 845-mile zero emission journey Featured

Posted On Monday, 11 October 2021 23:04 Written by
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The Toyota Mirai set a world record with a 845-mile zero emission journey. The Toyota Mirai set a world record with a 845-mile zero emission journey. Photo courtesy of Toyota

The 2021 Toyota Mirai has officially set the world record for the longest distance by a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle without refueling. The Mirai achieved 845 miles driven on a single, five-minute complete fill of hydrogen during a roundtrip tour of Southern California as it set the record. The Toyota Mirai’s record sets a new distance milestone for zero emission vehicles.

“In 2016, the Toyota Mirai was the first production fuel cell electric vehicle available for retail sale in North America, and now the next generation Mirai is setting distance records,” said Bob Carter, executive vice president, Toyota Motor North America. “We are proud to be leaders of this exciting technology, which is just one of a growing lineup of zero emission vehicles in our portfolio.”

The official record attempt was closely monitored by Guinness World Records, adhering to its strict rules and documentation procedures. On its efficiency-focused August 23 and 24, 2021 journey, the Mirai logged an152 MPGe with water as its only emission. Guinness World Records adjudicator, Michael Empric, validated the Mirai’s tank with a seal at both the beginning and end of the journey.

Driven by professional hypermiler, Wayne Gerdes and co-piloted by Bob Winger, the two-day trip began on, August 23, 2021, at the Toyota Technical Center (TTC) in Gardena, California, home of Toyota’s fuel cell development group. The duo traveled south to San Ysidro and then north to Santa Barbara cruising through Santa Monica and Malibu beach along the Pacific Coast Highway. They returned to TTC that evening and logged 473 miles with only two driver swaps that day.

The next day, August 24, 2021, consisted of more local driving loops, where they pushed through 372 more miles of morning and afternoon rush hour traffic on the San Diego freeway between Los Angeles and Orange County until the Mirai had no more hydrogen left and coasted into TTC with a grand total of 845 miles driven, as witnessed by Empric.

“As a Guinness World Records adjudicator for 10 years, I’ve had the opportunity to witness incredible attempts, including several distance-related feats,” said Empric. “The Toyota Mirai’s journey without the need to refuel showcases the power of fuel cell electric technology. This technology and the design ingenuity by the team at Toyota led to a history-making moment.”

By the end of the trip, the Mirai consumed a total of 5.65kg of hydrogen and passed a total of 12 hydrogen stations along the drive routes without refueling. The Mirai was driven mainly during rush hour traffic in temperatures between 65 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit. It emitted zero pounds of CO2, where a standard internal combustion engine vehicle would have emitted about 664 lbs. of CO2 over the same distance.

The Mirai model name, which means future in Japanese, is wholly appropriate, as the 2021 Mirai is powered by the latest evolution of the brand’s advanced fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) powertrain. The new Mirai is one part of an electrification strategy that also includes Toyota’s current and future hybrids and upcoming battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

The Toyota Mirai is currently on sale in California.

 

Matt M. Myftiu

Matt Myftiu has been a journalist for two decades with a focus on technology, NASCAR and autos.

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