Toyota's 'ultimate eco car': How much a Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell electric car will cost to run

Only 20 examples of the second-generation Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) have been brought in by Toyota Australia, and none of them are available to the general public.

That doesn’t mean Toyota will keep them locked away though, as select businesses and organisations will be able to lease one of the new Mirais for a set price.

Toyota is offering the Mirai on a three-year/60,000km period at a rate of $1750 per month, or $63,000 over the total loan time, while servicing will incur a $2693 one-off payment.

And if you are worried about refuelling, well Toyota bundles that into the charge of the loan, and the Mirai can be topped up at the Japanese car brand’s new refuelling station in Altona, Melbourne.

Outside this period, Toyota says it will cost around $75-$80 to refuel the Mirai’s three hydrogen tanks totalling 5.6kg (141 litres) that allows up to 650km of driving range for a combined consumption figure of 0.7kg/100km.
The hydrogen fuel cell powers an electric motor that outputs 134kW/300Nm to the rear wheels in the second-generation car, while three driving modes are on offer – Eco, Normal and Sport.

Measuring 4975mm long, 1885mm wide, 1470mm tall and with a 2920mm wheelbase, the second-gen car is larger in all respects compared to its predecessor, allowing the new Mirai to seat five passengers (up from four).

Standard equipment includes LED exterior lighting, rain-sensing wipers, auto-folding and heated exterior mirrors, rear privacy glass, 19-inch wheels, leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, synthetic leather seats, power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, push-button start and an electro-chromatic rearview mirror.

Instrumentation is displayed on an 8.0-inch display, which also incorporates a 4.2-inch driver readout, while the multimedia system is shown on a 12.3-inch touchscreen that incorporates satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, digital radio, voice recognition commands and a 14-speaker JBL sound system.

In terms of safety, the Mirai comes with Toyota’s Safety Sense suite that includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, speed sign recognition, automatic high beams and lane centring function.

Also included is blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, seven airbags, surround-view monitor, ISOFIX anchorage points and alarm.

The first-generation Mirai was also brought into Australia to conduct similar trials, with a fleet of 10 cars brought in from 2015.

Hobson’s Bay City Council was one of the first organisations to test out the FCEV, taking on three cars to use in their fleet, but it is still to be revealed which organisations have their hand up for the new Mirai.