Improvements in fuel cell tech offer up to 30% increased range along with improved acceleration and performance; fully redesigned on TNGA platform; will have superior driving experience, improved passenger comfort, and dynamic exterior styling
11 Oct 2019 | 6768 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Toyota is to preview the next generation of its groundbreaking, zero-emission Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. The Mirai Concept, a final-stage development model of the second-generation Mirai, will be on view at ‘Future Expo’ from October 24 until November 4 at Megaweb.
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Toyota is to preview the next generation of its groundbreaking, zero-emission Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. The Mirai Concept, a final-stage development model of the second-generation Mirai, will be on view at ‘Future Expo’ from October 24 until November 4 at Megaweb.
The totally re-designed Mirai reflects a major step forward for FCEVs and the potential of a hydrogen society, boasting significantly greater range, improved driving performance, and an elegant, sporty design that offers increased passenger room and comfort.
The Mirai Concept features a dynamic exterior design built on Toyota's latest TNGA platform, including low lines, elegant proportions, sleek, taut bodywork and large, 20-inch diameter wheels. The sedan gets a new colour – Force Blue Multiple Layers – that uses layers of colour to achieve exceptional brightness and depth.
The interior, equipped with a 12.3-inch wide screen on the centre console and instrument panel that embraces the driver, provides a simple, modern space to create a feeling of warmth and comfort. The fuel cell system configuration using the TNGA platform also allows for five seats instead of the current-generation Mirai's four.
"We have worked to make a car that customers will want to drive all the time, a car that has an emotional and attractive design and the kind of dynamic and responsive performance that can bring a smile to the driver's face," said Yoshikazu Tanaka, Chief Engineer of the Mirai. "I want customers to say 'I chose the Mirai because I simply wanted this car, and it just happens to be an FCEV.' We will continue our development work focusing on that feeling, and we hope that with the new Mirai we will be a leader in helping to realise a hydrogen energy society."
Launched in 2014, the first-generation Toyota Mirai proved the global potential of hydrogen to power clean and sustainable mobility, combining a driving range with refueling time equivalent to conventional vehicles and emissions of nothing but water. Since then, approximately 10,000 Mirais have been sold globally, helping pave the way towards a hydrogen society that will reduce emissions, diversify energy sources, and generate global economic growth.
Scheduled for launch starting in late 2020, initially in Japan, North America and Europe, the second-generation Mirai is much more than an eco-car, marking a new stage for FCEV technology. The latest Mirai features a fully-redesigned fuel cell system, including its fuel cell stack, that delivers substantially improved performance.
Improvements in fuel cell system performance and increased hydrogen storage capacity mean the new Mirai will target a 30 percent increase in driving range. The vehicle has also been totally redesigned based on Toyota's premium rear-wheel drive TNGA platform to combine greater agility and driving performance with a sleek and elegant exterior design.