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Toyota names hydrogen car Mirai, debuts in 2016

Michael James

The 2016 Toyota Fuel Cell car has been named Marai .

Toyota has announced its new fuel cell vehicle will be called the Mirai, and the Japanese manufacturer is hopeful the hydrogen-powered vehicle will live up to the translation of its name — “future.”

Toyota President Akio Toyoda revealed the car’s name in conjunction with the company CEO Jim Lentz announcing the expansion of Toyota fuel cell infrastructure investment to five-state in the Northeastern corridor.

The Mirai, according to Toyota, will travel as far as 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen, refuel in less than five minutes and emit only water vapor.

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.

 

The 2016 Toyota Fuel Cell car has been named Marai .
The 2016 Toyota Fuel Cell car has been named Mirai .

“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.

Article Last Updated: November 16, 2014.

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