Screenshot via Toyota.

Screenshot via Toyota.

Buyers in California can begin ordering Toyota's hydrogen-powered Mirai fuel cell sedan on July 20 through the Toyota website, the automaker announced.

Toyota will contact eligible customers to schedule delivery at one of eight California dealers, when the first Mirai sedans arrive in October. After placing a request, potential Mirai owners or lessees will be contacted by a Toyota representative to explore the possibility of Mirai ownership, according to Toyota.

Toyota is selling the four-door sedan at a starting price of $57,000. Toyota will also offer the Mirai on a three-year lease for $499 per month.

Mirai drivers will receive three years of complimentary fuel. Mirai owners will also receive three years of around-the-clock customer call support and an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on key fuel cell vehicle components.

The Mirai can travel 312 miles on a single fill of hydrogen, and offers 67 mpg equivalent in all driving cycles, the EPA has determined.

About a year ago, California established weights and measures for hydrogen, which is dispensed by the kilogram as a 10,000-psi gaseous fuel. One kilogram provides the equivalent amount energy of a gallon of gasoline or diesel. The state's Division of Measurement Standards first adopted an interim standard, before implementing SAE International's hydrogen fuel quality standard J2719.

California has begun rolling out hydrogen fueling stations partially funded through a $200-million grant from the California Energy Commission. Existing hydrogen stations that have functioned as non-commercial demonstration stations will be closed or converted into commercial stations so Mirai drivers can pay for fuel with a credit card or Toyota-issued fuel debit card, said John Hanson, a Toyota spokesman.

There should be about 20 stations online at the end of 2015, and another 20 by the end of 2016. A Southern California station in Diamond Bar now sells hydrogen fuel for $13.99 per kilogram. The price of hydrogen should fall as additional stations come online, Hanson said.

"We think it's going to come down dramatically," Hanson said.

Toyota plans to deliver about 300 Mirai sedans to California dealers in October, and sell another 30,000 in 2016 and 2017. Vehicles from the second batch will go into five New England states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey.

Visit Toyota's Mirai website here.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

About the author
Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Editorial

Our team of enterprising editors brings years of experience covering the fleet industry. We offer a deep understanding of trends and the ever-evolving landscapes we cover in fleet, trucking, and transportation.  

View Bio
0 Comments