Toyota's 'Mirai' Fuel Cell Vehicle Launches In Japan
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Akio Toyoda's "Mirai" is Toyota's new fuel cell vehicle, which the company's president announced in a video released the night before the car's official launch.
Mirai, which means "future" in Japanese, represents a turning point for the automotive industry. The groundbreaking vehicle can travel up to 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen, refuel in less than five minutes and emits only water vapor.
Expanded Support for New Hydrogen Stations
Of course, the car of the future won't become a reality without the hydrogen stations to support it.
That's why Toyota North America chief executive officer (CEO) Jim Lentz announced a new commitment to drive the development of a hydrogen refueling infrastructure in five northeastern U.S. states.
To support Mirai's introduction to the region in 2016, Toyota is collaborating with Air Liquide to develop and supply a phased network of 12 state-of-the-art hydrogen stations targeted for New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
The states and locations have been strategically selected in the greater New York and Boston areas to provide the backbone of a hydrogen highway for the Northeast corridor. Specific details of the collaboration will be revealed in the coming months.
"Toyota's vision of a hydrogen society is not just about building a great car, but ensuring accessible, reliable and convenient refueling for our customers," said Jim Lentz.
"I am happy to announce that this vision will expand beyond the borders of California and give customers the opportunity to join the fuel cell movement."
This new announcement builds on Toyota's previous support for hydrogen infrastructure development in California.
In May 2014, Toyota announced a $7.3 million loan to FirstElement Fuels to support the operations and maintenance of 19 hydrogen fueling stations across the state.
The commitment augments funding provided by the California Energy Commission, and makes Toyota the only OEM to provide working capital for infrastructure development.