Toyota Mirai gets Tesla-busting 502km range
Hydrogen-powered Japanese sedan can travel further than Model S; Toyota to throw in free hire car for three yrs if it's still not enoughToyota has confirmed its new hydrogen fuel cell-powered Mirai will cover 502km between refuels and average 3.5L/100km when it goes on sale late this year in markets outside Australia.
Announcing the fuel efficiency and range figures at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen, Colorado, Toyota’s North America CEO, Jim Lentz, said: "Just as the Prius introduced hybrid-electric vehicles to millions of customers, the Mirai will usher in a new era of efficient hydrogen transportation.”
According to industry pundits, Toyota is proud of the Mirai’s 502km as it beats the maximum 434km claimed range for the Tesla Model S 85D.
It’s believed Toyota and Tesla have both fallen out following the American electric car-maker’s CEO, Elon Musk, declared Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell technology as “fool cells”.
Making the comments last January, Musk declared Toyota’s decision to invest in hydrogen power as “extremely silly”.
Currently in both Europe and the US, the infrastructure needed to fuel hydrogen cars is in its infancy -- but Toyota is so keen to push FCEV tech in the US that it will offer a free hire car for three years to anyone who complains a 502km range is not enough.
It’s not known if this will be rolled out to other markets. Currently, there are no plans to offer the Mirai in Australia.
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