DRIVEN + VIDEO: It May NOT Be A LOOKER, But It **MAY** Be The FUTURE — The Toyota Miraj

DRIVEN + VIDEO: It May NOT Be A LOOKER, But It **MAY** Be The FUTURE — The Toyota Miraj
Over the past several years we've heard stammering from all angles that electric vehicles are the future. And with Tesla making impressive moves with its Model S, one would think that EVs have it in the bag.

Well, not quite.

That's because we're now seeing Toyota LAUNCH a production fuel cell vehicle. While BMW and Honda have shipped fuel cell vehicles, let me remind you they were in INCREDIBLY limited batches. Give or take 30 in total.

Named the Miraj, it doesn't exactly seem to be the Anna Kendrick of cars but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in fuel tech. That's because it emits water — according to our lispy friend below, it is drinkable though not recommended.

To better understand what exactly makes the Miraj interesting, I suggest you take a look at the video below. It'll definitely make something that seemed like a fantasy real.


The Toyota Mirai may not be the prettiest product to debut in November, but it presents the potential for a brighter future with the promise of cleaner air and less dependence on oil.



TheSteveTheSteve - 11/30/2014 10:59:46 AM
+2 Boost
Which fuel does it use for its fuel cell? Hydrogen. So far, there are exceedingly few hydrogen filling stations around the country, making it not only a local call, but only local *IF* you have a hydrogen station nearby. Whereas virtually everyone has an electrical outlet for an EV, hydrogen stations are scarce.

The second issue is that even though hydrogen is extremely plentiful throughout the universe, converting it to a form that can be used by this car is very energy intensive. Today's technology means you have a 70% chance that somewhere, tons of fossil fuel will be burned to generate the electricity needed to extract and convert the "clean" hydrogen from it source to the form needed by this car.

Hydrogen fuel cells *might* be the way of the future, the *distant* future, but for now, they're very, very impractical for most consumers. That's why this car, like all hydrogen-fueled cars that came before it, will be a commercial flop.


MDarringerMDarringer - 11/30/2014 11:18:54 AM
+1 Boost
It's Mirai not Miraj for one thing.

Neither EVs nor FCVs are a viable replacements for internal combustion engined vehicles, nor will they be viable anytime soon. EVs will not be viable until they can be recharged as fast as a tank can be filled with gas or diesel. FCVs can be "filled up" nearly as fast as a conventional car, but infrastructure is sorely lacking.
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