The Toyota Mirai Can't Leave California (Yet)
Learn how the Toyota Mirai hopes to change the emissions game, in California and beyond.
Written by Alex Reale
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
As the market for
electric vehicles
expands and grows, automaking creativity is blossoming. The standard process for harnessing electric power for cars has so far mostly come in two forms: conversion of gas to electric as you drive, and by simply plugging into an outlet. Now we’re seeing new strategies for creating that magic electric combo. One new development that’s causing sparks is the
hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle
. Read on to learn how the Toyota Mirai hopes to change the emissions game, in California and beyond.
Is the Toyota Mirai the new Prius?
Toyota has been at the forefront of the electric vehicle (EV) game for a long time. The Prius, once a gimmicky newcomer, is a mainstay of the auto landscape, and has inspired legions of other EVs. Now that Toyota’s first EV baby is grown up and out of the house, attention can be turned to another potential gamechanger.
First launched in 2014, the Toyota Mirai appears to be having a Prius-like hero’s journey. Initial skepticism gave way to intrigue, and here in 2022 a cool redesign and the unfortunate external circumstance of high gas prices have combined to generate some keen interest. And, like the Prius, it’s what makes the car go that’s turning heads.
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What makes the Toyota Mirai special?
MORE: BMW and Other German Automakers Are Putting a Focus on Hydrogen Cars
The Toyota Mirai is one of a select few hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, including the Hyundai Nexo and the Honda Clarity. These vehicles are still powered by electricity, but it’s the process that is different.
As a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle is driven, oxygen from the outside world enters the fuel cell via pipe. The oxygen interacts with the existing hydrogen in the fuel cell, and this causes a chemical reaction that sends electricity directly to the motor, which then powers the car.
Anyone who remembers their high school chemistry classes can anticipate the coolest part of this process: balancing H2 with O2 results in…H2O. So while the motor snacks on electricity the waste left behind exits the tailpipe as, you guessed it, water vapor.
Toyota’s big finish? Not only is the Mirai zero emissions, it’s actually minus emissions: the water that leaves the exhaust is actually cleaning the air as you drive.
An exciting but complicated future in hydrogen
MORE: Hyundai's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trucks Coming to California
That’s the fun part. The less fun parts abound. The most obvious problem is fuel: how will Mirai drivers stock up on hydrogen, which can’t be found at your average gas station? It looks like they will have to spend most of their time in California for now.
There are only 48 total hydrogen stations in the U.S., the vast majority of which are concentrated on the West Coast. More are in the works, but for now it will be a California Highway 1 vacation this summer for Mirai owners.
Other questions about hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are still being tossed around. Are you actually cleaning the air when you drive? Is the efficiency of the hydrogen fuel-cell process countermanded by the demands of sourcing hydrogen? How sustainable is any of this, anyway? But we’ll leave those to the critics. Too busy watching YouTube videos of Mirais whipping around corners, leaving nothing but clouds.
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