Toyota's Mirai That Runs On Hydrogen Is Now In India And Here Is What It Means

As India advances towards an alternative source of fuel for its vehicles, those powered by electric drivetrains have taken the centre stage. This, however, does not imply the lack of other options. Hydrogen fuel cells, for instance, are a viable one being pursued by many major OEMs. Toyota, is one of them. What¡¯s more, the company has now provided a glimpse of its endeavour in India.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor had earlier expressed its interest in conducting a feasibility study on its hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in India. It looks like it has already proceeded with the plans, as its only hydrogen fuel cell vehicle was recently spotted in India - the Toyota Mirai.

As per recent reports, a unit of the Toyota Mirai was recently imported to the company¡¯s Bengaluru plant. Following this, K R Jyothilal, Principal Secretary, Transport (Kerala) became the first Indian to test drive the car.

Kerala Transport Secretary KR Jyothilal posing with Toyota Mirai. (Image: News18)

It is not the first appearance of the vehicle itself in the country though. The Mirai made its debut in India back in 2016 during that year¡¯s Auto Expo. That was just for showcasing the company¡¯s advancement in the direction though. This time, the Mirai will be used for a pilot project in Kerala.

For this, Union Ministry of Surface Transport has already been asked for the required permissions by Kerala. In addition, the state is also seeking to establish sources for Hydrogen needed to run the car. As per a report, it is in discussion with BPCL's Cochin refinery for supplying the fuel at locations including Kochi, Kollam, Azheekal, Vizhinjam ports.

A look at the hydrogen powered car

Toyota Mirai is one of the limited vehicles in production that use hydrogen as a fuel. This is made possible by solid polymer electrolytes and 370 cells stacked in a series format.

As for the power delivered, the Mirai gets a 114 KW (153 PS) of maximum power and 335 Nm of peak torque which translate to a top speed of 175 km/h and a claimed range of around 650 km.

(Image: News18)

New saviour for India?

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have a considerable advantage over battery electric vehicles in some aspects. A major one of them is the charging time taken by BEVs. In hydrogen powered vehicles, this charging time is reduced to minimal, as just the Hydrogen has to be refilled into the tanks, just like petrol and diesel. In addition they are a clean mode of transport as the end product of the process is only water.

That being said, there are some monumental challenges in appointing it as a viable source of commute. Hydrogen is a highly flammable substance and to use it as a fuel, an enormous cost on the required infrastructure will have to be borne. In the age when the country is still being accustomed to the idea of electric vehicles, coming up with a setup for hydrogen vehicles simultaneously will prove to be cumbersome at the least.

This, however, does not undermine its value as a viable option for powering commute in the country in anyway. Toyota, being at the forefront of such an experiment in India should be applauded for its efforts and if and when the company finds that the system works well, other OEMs will surely follow suit.