2021 Toyota Mirai Price: The Second Generation With Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Sedan

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2021 Toyota Mirai Currently, there are only three hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric cars on the market today: the Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity, and the Hyundai Nexo.

The first two look more like ugly science experiments than a decent car, the third is like an anonymous compact SUV. For 2021, the Toyota Mirai will change that style with a new design for the second generation that makes it look more like a Lexus than a Prius.

The process of creating the electricity that drives Mirai involves oxygen, which is sent to the fuel cell along with hydrogen fuel. There, a chemical reaction takes place that releases its electron hydrogen.

Electrons power an electric motor while hydrogen bonds with oxygen to produce water.

Only moisture escaped from the Mirai exhaust; it is a zero-emission vehicle.

The Mirai doesn’t take more than 5 minutes to refuel, and Toyota estimates the 2021 model will have a range of 400 miles.

Unfortunately, Mirai is only sold in two places where there is a hydrogen refueling network: California and Hawaii.

The Toyota Mirai sees a complete overhaul for the 2021 model year as it enters its second generation. The most striking change is a complete overhaul of the exterior design.

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The 2020 Mirai looks like a close relative of the Toyota Prius, while the 2021 Mirai, which was revealed last year, looks more like a Lexus. It has increased in size and will be several inches longer and wider than the Lexus GS.

The styling change, however, is not the most important revision – it will be a move from the front to the rear-wheel drive. Toyota has also said that the electric motor that powers the Mirai will be more powerful, but we don’t know the exact power numbers yet.

Apart from the power increase, Mirai will also get a range increase. The 2020 Mirai has an estimated EPA mileage of 312 miles; According to Toyota, the 2021 model should be able to cover a distance of more than 400 miles.

2021 Toyota Mirai Interior

The interior of the old Mirai did not live up to our expectations. It has all the modern features you’d expect, but with a price tag of nearly $ 60,000, the ingredients and finish should be richer.

The Mirai 2021 sees a redesign on the outside, and it is hoped the changes will sweep across the interior as well, as Toyota has stated that it wants to make the second-generation Mirai a more luxurious car.

Touch screens will most likely dominate the dashboard, as they did on previous models, giving the interior a very modern look.

For 2021, Mirai could get the large 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system found in the Limited and Platinum trims from the Toyota Highlander.

This will stand out as an improvement from the 7.0-inch screen found in the previous generation Mirai.

Features such as standard Wi-Fi hotspot, JBL 11-speaker audio system, and navigation will almost certainly return in the 2021 model. SiriusXM satellite radio, USB connectivity, and Bluetooth are likely also standard.

One of the notable drawbacks of the previous Mirai gen was the lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are expected to be fixed in 2021.

2021 Toyota Mirai Fuel-Cell

The Mirai, Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell sedan, is heading in a new directionless Prius, more Lexus, with rear-wheel drive and a targeted range of over 400 miles.

There are more than 6,000 examples of the Mirai currently on roads in California and Hawaii, and the new car signifies Toyota’s commitment to continuing to develop its technology.

The advantages of hydrogen are simple: EV propulsion with fossil fuel mileage and five minutes refueling.

Hydrogen’s biggest challenges, as always, are costs and infrastructure. The Mirai storage tank currently operates at 10,000 psi and requires sufficient carbon fiber to build a spare Aventador.

The new one may be more economical in that respect, although the upscale move implies that we can expect a $ 58,500 increase in the current model’s price (which includes three years’ worth of fuel or $ 15,000).

More power is also provided, with the switch to rear-wheel drive promising a new emphasis on performance. The Mirai 2021 footprint makes it a few inches longer and several inches wider than the Lexus GS.

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However, the basis of propulsion remains the same: hydrogen is essentially another form of battery. You need electricity to solve it, but that electricity can come from a variety of sources.

So, is hydrogen. Have a pig farm that emits great methane gas? Apply electricity, cut out some hydrogen, and fire up your Mirai. No, that exact scenario may not apply anywhere in Los Angeles, where most fueling stations are located, but hydrogen’s appeal reflects the electric power itself: there are many different ways to end zero emissions.

Jackie Birdsall, a senior engineer for fuel cell development, has tested the Mirai everywhere from Yellowknife, Canada – where, in -40 degrees of weather, the engineers’ internal combustion rental car dies but the fuel cell burns steadily – to Death Valley.

It’s not a question of whether this technology works, “he said.” Now we are refining it, both in terms of efficiency and cost, and taking advantage of the performance possibilities of rear-wheel drive EVs. ”

As to whether the fuel cell will ultimately win over the battery, Toyota doesn’t see it as either scenario or. “If you have a house and can charge the car in your garage, maybe you will get an EV,” says Birdsall.

If you don’t have access to a charger, or you are traveling a long distance, and you want a zero-emission vehicle, then a fuel cell car is a better choice. Not one or the other. We want to give people choices. ”

2021 Toyota Mirai Engine

The Toyota Mirai is powered by a so-called fuel cell electric powertrain, which means that hydrogen (which can come from cow dung, among other sources) is converted into electricity by a built-in fuel cell – a chemistry lab on wheels.

Fuel cells create electricity by removing electrons from hydrogen atoms; the hydrogen then bonds with oxygen to make water, while the electrons drive the electric motor.

The result is an electric vehicle that uses hydrogen fuel from a pump, not electrons drawn from the country’s power grid.

The electric motor that powers the previous-generation Mirai delivers 151 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque, all of which are sent via a one-speed direct-drive transmission to the front wheels, resulting in a slow zero-to-60 time of 8.9 seconds.

Mirai is not very sporty, but comfortable to drive around town. We hope that more power and a shift to rear-wheel-drive set up on the 2021 model brings Toyota’s promise of a new emphasis on performance to fruition.

The EPA estimate for the previous generation Toyota Mirai is 67 MPGe for city and highway driving, and the 2021 model will increase that figure.

According to Toyota, the estimated range for the 2021 Mirai is more than 400 miles, a distance roughly proportional to how far a gas-powered vehicle can travel on a fuel tank.

Honda Clarity returns similar EPA estimates in city and highway driving at 68 and 67 MPGe, respectively. More economical than the two Nexo models present in the city 65 MPGe, highway 58 MPGe.