Reader Response Draft 4 (Toyota Mirai)

 

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The introduction of the Toyota Mirai is seen as a more environmentally friendly option with the adoption of hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Stuffed with loads of advanced technologies and safety features, the Toyota Mirai seems to be a better choice compared to other cars. However, its production still faces challenges in the infrastructure and economy departments to allow it to be normalized.

In 2014, the very first Toyota Mirai, a mid-size hydrogen fuel cell vehicle was introduced by Toyota. According to Leow (2022), the Mirai, which means “future” in Japanese, is a hydrogen fuel-cell car that boasts a unique engine that distinguishes itself from its market rivals. The Mirai uses a hydrogen fuel-cell stack to power itself, unlike conventional batteries. According to Hunting (2023), external oxygen mixes with the hydrogen stored to generate electrical energy, which powers the electric motors. Water is the only waste product due to the mixture, causing zero emissions. Based on the Mirai webpage by Toyota itself, (n.d.), the Mirai’s hydrogen engine allows a rapid refuelling time of five minutes. In 2019, the second generation Mirai was introduced, and it boasted many improvements compared to the model before. For starters, the ride is quieter and smoother. Its new engine also provided more power and lighter, allowing the Mirai to hit 100km/h with much ease. Some additional performance figures and features of the Mirai included a 645-kilometer range on one tank, and three different driving modes depending on the driver’s utilization of the vehicle, (Eco, Normal and Sport). To add on, Toyota, remarkably, achieved these improvements to the engine with parts that cost two-thirds of the engine before (Leow, 2022).

“The more you drive, the more you clean the air”, reported Halvorson (2021). With its advanced technology, the Mirai is the vanguard of using hydrogen in transportation, which implies cleaner transportation in the future and benefits the environment. The Mirai not only produces zero emissions but is also able to filter out chemical pollutants (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ammonia), and pollutants that are invisible to the naked eye (pollens, dust etc.) through the two-step PM2.5 particular filter (Halvorson, 2021). At the first stage of the purification, the catalyst filter can trap and neutralize chemical pollutants. The electrostatically charged paper in the second can trap invisible pollutants. In a test drive, a 2200-kilometre (km) drive can clean up nearly 1500kL (kilolitres) of air.

The Mirai has received a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP (2021) and is equipped with Toyota Safety Sense™ 2.5+ technology, including a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection (PCS w/PD), Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA w/SA), Land Tracing Assist (LTA), Road Sign Assist (RSA), and Automatic High Beam (AHB) (Toyota, n.d.). The PCS w/PD can detect pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, issuing warnings and applying emergency braking if necessary. DRCC maintains a safe distance from vehicles ahead, while LDA w/SA warns of lane departures and adjusts steering to keep the car in its lane. LTA helps centre the car in the lane, RSA displays traffic signs on the multi-information display (MID), and AHB automatically switches between high and low beams based on surrounding brightness and other vehicles' lights. Additionally, the Mirai's body structure is designed to absorb and disperse collision forces, making it a safe choice that meets global safety standards.

Despite Mirai’s advanced technologies and safeness, there are still challenges in making it accessible all around the world. The Mirai is now only available in the United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Norway, and Japan. The main challenge is the lack of hydrogen fuelling centres (HFCs). There are only about 1000 HFCs around the world. China, Japan, and Korea are the top three countries with HFCs, and Germany is the only European country which has over 100 HFCs available (Information Trends, n.d.).  As hydrogen gas is a highly flammable gas, it is a main difficulty on setting up a HFC. Hydrogen gas is harder to be compressed and can be costly. According to Hydrogen Central (2023), to construct a HFC in California, the cost is estimated around 1.5 to 2 million US Dollars.

In conclusion, hydrogen fuel-cell cars like the Toyota Mirai can represent a great step toward a greener and cleaner future, and a safer choice. The challenges faced by infrastructure limitations and production costs are a huge hurdle to overcome. With advancements in technologies nowadays, the Toyota Mirai is giving hope to the future and a path toward a more sustainable transportation.

References

Clifford, A. (n.d.). 2024 Toyota Mirai Review, pricing, and Specs. Car and Driver. https://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/mirai

Euro NCAP. (2021, September). Official Toyota Mirai 2021 safety rating.  

https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/toyota/mirai/43501

Halvorson, B. (2021, February 16). Toyota claims the 2021 Mirai Fuel-cell car cleans the air, calls it “minus emissions.” Green Car Reports. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1131268_toyota-claims-the-2021-mirai-fuel-cell-car-cleans-the-air-calls-it-minus-emissions

Hunting, B. (2023, March 14). Toyota Mirai proves hydrogen is the future - and always will be. InsideHook.
https://www.insidehook.com/autos/review-2023-toyota-mirai-hydrogen-fuel-future

Hydrogen Central. (2023, September 14). What’s the average cost (BOP) of a hydrogen fuel

station? – Venair. Hydrogen Industry News & Market Intelligence. https://hydrogen-central.com/whats-average-cost-bop-hydrogen-fuel-station-venair/#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20at,around%201.5%2D2%20million%20USD.

Information Trends. (n.d.). Hydrogen station deployments surpass 1,000 with China

leading the way. https://informationtrends.com/global-market-for-hydrogen-fueling-stations-2023/press-release.php

Leow, J.-L. (2022, December 23). Toyota’s futuristic Mirai is still stuck in the future. The Business Times. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/toyotas-futuristic-mirai-still-stuck-future

Toyota. (2020, December 9) Toyota Launches the New Mirai.

https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/toyota/33558148.html

Toyota. (n.d.). 2023 Toyota Mirai.
               https://www.toyota.com/mirai/

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