Toyota bringing 20 Mirais to Aussie fleets

TOYOTA Motor Corporation Australia (TMCA) has confirmed it will be bringing a small allocation of the hydrogen-powered Mirai sedan to Australia for “select business and government fleets”.

Due to arrive in the first quarter of next year, just 20 of the next-generation fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) will be included in the first allocation, the arrival of which has been orchestrated to align with the expected commissioning of a solar-powered hydrogen production site and refuelling station at TMCA’s Centre of Excellence in Melbourne.

As previously reported by GoAuto, the production site was backed by a $3.1 million grant by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

Due to be officially unveiled in Japan next month, the new Mirai will reverse its predecessor’s front-wheel-drive configuration and instead ship exclusively in rear-wheel-drive guise while also ushering in a heap of new tech and styling.

With specifics and pricing yet to be detailed, TMCA says the new model will boast more performance, greater efficiency and more space thanks to the “intelligent packaging” of three hydrogen tanks rather than the previous two.

According to TMCA vice-president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley, the next-generation Mirai is the next step towards achieving ‘local acceptance’ of FCEVs following on from trials of the first-generation model by councils and utilities companies.

“Toyota is committed to accelerating the popularity and diversity of electrified vehicles that reduce CO2 emissions and air pollution,” he said.

“The best way to demonstrate the long-term viability and environmental benefits of hydrogen-powered fuel-cell electric vehicles is to supply cars to local industries and governments that share our vision of a zero-emission future.

“All-new Mirai brings together Toyota’s unrivalled experience with electrified vehicles and our integrated approach to an electric future.

“EV technologies we've developed over more than 20 years – including batteries, motors and advanced energy-management software – are fundamental to the production of many types of electrified vehicles, including FCEVs.”

TMCA has commented previously about its intentions to introduce the next-generation Mirai by 2024 and how it was anticipating an upswing in the popularity FCEVs and technology.

The new hydrogen production facility was originally slated to be operational by the end of 2020 and is still on track to become the first FCEV fuelling site to run on its own renewable energy and produce its own hydrogen in Australia.