The era of the fuel cell vehicle in the United States will hit a growth spurt early next month in California when Toyota dealers begin taking orders for the maker’s hydrogen fuel cell-powered Mirai.
The $58,000 alternative fuel vehicle starts arriving in dealer showrooms this October, according to the Japanese automaker. It will only be sold in California, which is the only state with enough hydrogen-fueling infrastructure for the purchase to make sense.
The California Energy Commission is investing $46.6 million to accelerate the development of hydrogen fueling stations. The cash infusion will add 28 new stations to the existing nine stations. There are another 17 sites in various stages of development, which would bring the total stations expected online in the next couple of years to 54. That commission’s goal is 100 stations.
So to entice the early adopters, which Toyota believes will be the first buyers for the Mirai, they’ll get free fuel. Additionally, the Japanese maker is offering an around-the-clock “concierge,” roadside assistance and an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the fuel cell.
However, creating a vehicle for such a small market doesn’t make sense so Toyota formed a partnership with French company Air Liquite to build hydrogen stations in the Northeast beginning next year.
(Toyota baiting Mirai buyers with free fuel. For more, Click Here.)
The stations will be built in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island to accommodate Mirai sales, which share some California clean-air regulations. Toyota expects to sell 3,000 by the end of 2017.
(Click Here for details about the Mirai’s turn as a NASCAR pace car.)
Toyota used a Mirai as the pace car for the Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR race last month in Richmond, Virginia. The move was designed as much to promote the new car as to show it’s mettle. It was the first fuel-cell powered car to pace a NASCAR race.
(To see more about why green car buyers pay with “green,” Click Here.)
While hydrogen cars are rare, Toyota’s not the only maker employing the technology. Hyundai introduced its Tucson SUV last year powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. The company offers the ute with a three-year lease for $499 a month.
Prior to that Honda’s FCX Clarity could be seen prowling the highways and byways of California for several years.
This could be a monumental shift for EVs and the end of impractical batteries for EV use.