The 2015-2016 Toyota Mirai hydrogen sedan was put into mass production by the company, and became available to buyers in Japan on December 14, 2014. New innovative four-seater Toyota Mirai sedan with fantastic hydrogen-powered Toyota The FC Stack, which generates electricity by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, has become a production variant thanks to the concept Toyota FCV and Toyota FCV-R, on which the Japanese have been polishing the hydrogen technology of the future for several years. The Mirai sedan (translated into Russian - the future) is still only available in Japan. Price Toyota Mirai, however, starts at 7,236 million yen (about 61,500 US dollars), but the Japanese government gives each buyer a subsidy of 2 million yen (17 thousand dollars).

Interestingly, despite the high price of Toyota Mirai, the number of those wishing to purchase a novelty with a hydrogen engine, only by preliminary orders, significantly exceeded the planned production of cars. In the summer of 2015, the Toyota Mirai will appear in North America, and possibly by the end of next year in Europe. In Russia, the new hydrogen-powered car from Toyota will most likely not be officially on sale.

Official photos and video materials, as well as technical information provided by the Japanese manufacturer, suggest that the name of the Toyota Mirai sedan (Toyota Future) suits perfectly well.

The new 2015-2016 Toyota Mirai hydrogen sedan - with an original, even fantastic exterior design, emphasized by an exclusively two-tone body paint. The main body surfaces of the sedan can be painted in one of six colors - White Pearl (white), Precious Silver (silver), Pure Blue (light blue), Dark Blue Mica (dark blue), Dark Red Mica (dark red) or Precious Black Pearl (black), but the roof, front and rear roof pillars, door glass frames, a thin insert between the hood and front fenders, stripes on the rear-view mirror housings, air intake grilles in the front bumper are only in graphite black.

The front part of the Toyota Mirai body with ultra-narrow headlights, each of which has four LED lamps (low and high beam), a huge streamlined bumper with a classic horizontal air intake, and a pair of giant vertical air ducts with garlands of LED strips that correspond to for daytime running lights, and direction indicators. Large air intakes are designed to provide the huge amount of oxygen needed to operate and cool the FC stack hydrogen unit.

The body profile of the innovative Japanese sedan Toyota Mirai captivates with graceful lines and stampings, an original roofline and an unconventional rear end. Powerful bursts of waves running into the rear of the car give the sedan an unmatched look.

And let the rear part of the body of the Japanese hydrogen sedan look a little heavy due to massive side lights (LED filling with 3D effect), a large luggage compartment lid with a chic LED strip and a huge bumper, but ... how cool and original the feed looks.

• External dimensions of the Toyota Mirai body are 4890 mm long, 1815 mm wide, 1535 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2780 mm.
• With standard-fit tires of size 215 / 55R17 on light-alloy wheel rims of the 17th size, the front wheel track is 1535 mm, the rear wheel track is 1545 mm, the ground clearance (clearance) is 130 mm.

The interior of the new Japanese hydrogen-powered sedan is as stylish and modern as the body of the car. The saloon of the sedan is four-seater, for the driver and front passenger there are comfortable seats with an anatomical profile of the backrest, unobtrusive lateral support and electric adjustment in 8 directions. In the second row there is a luxurious sofa, divided by a powerful armrest into two zones.

The decent size of the wheelbase of 2780 mm and the competent internal layout made it possible to create a solid size of the cabin, which is 2040 mm in length, 1465 mm in width and 1185 mm in height. Any of the four seats can be accommodated with comfort, seats with a margin in all directions, the convenience of landing in the car interior is provided by wide doorways and doors that open at an angle of 80 degrees.

Let's go back to the first row and evaluate the level of modern equipment installed on the Toyota Mirai. In front of the driver is a multifunctional steering wheel of compact size, at the top of the central panel in the center of the dashboard there is an electronic multifunctional instrument panel with a 4.2-inch color screen, just below the 9-inch color touch screen of the multimedia installation (navigation, telephone, rear-view camera, music , voice control).

Most interesting on the center console is the electrostatic control panel, which is responsible for adjusting the dual-zone climate control, heating the steering wheel and all seats, and activating the mass of other auxiliary equipment.

All of the above equipment, except for the advanced multimedia system, is standard for the Toyota Mirai sedan. However, like the electronic security systems Pre-collision System (frontal collision warning system with emergency braking function), adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, keyless entry, Lane Departure Alert System (warning system about crossing the center and side lines of the marking), Blind Spot Monitor (control of objects in the blind zones of mirrors), Drive-start Control limits, Hill Start Assist, ABS, EBD, VSC, TRC, nine airbags, including for the driver's legs.

Specifications Toyota Mirai uses the super modern Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS) technology. The basic principle of a hydrogen engine is to use hydrogen as a fuel to generate electricity. The operation of a hydrogen engine on a car is provided by two hydrogen tanks (front 60 liters, rear 62.4 liters), hydrogen fuel entering the Toyota FC Stack unit (a fuel cell with polymer electrolyte) mixes with oxygen and forms water and electricity during a chemical reaction.

The resulting electricity can be stored in batteries or go directly to power an electric motor (154 hp 335 Nm), which rotates the front wheels.
The presence of super modern equipment and batteries makes the hydrogen sedan quite heavy. The curb weight of the car is 1850 kg, while the carrying capacity of the car is only 220 kg. But the hydrogen sedan is capable of accelerating to 100 km / h in 10 seconds and gaining a top speed of 175 km / h.
The most interesting thing is that the supply of hydrogen fuel is sufficient to overcome 650 kilometers, the refueling time takes only 3 minutes, and the car does not pollute the atmosphere with harmful emissions, but simply sprinkles the road with ordinary water.
https://youtu.be/E5QztodzHfk
Toyota Mirai is equipped with an electric power steering, independent front suspension with MacPherson struts, semi-independent rear suspension with a torsion beam, all-wheel disc brakes with a braking energy recovery system.
Toyota Motor Corporation is confident in the reliability of its hydrogen brainchild and offers an 8-year warranty on high-tech equipment and the entire vehicle.

I have never been to Hamburg before. And the choice of this particular place for the test seemed strange. After all, Munich, Stuttgart, well, in extreme cases, Frankfurt have always claimed the role of the automobile heart of Germany. And here - Hamburg! It turned out that a large port city was not chosen by chance as a test for a serial hydrogen car. It is this city that is the unspoken capital of Germany's green technologies. Here, a lot of solutions are aimed not only at maintaining cleanliness and order, but also at the rational use of resources. Even people like the wind. Dozens of powerful wind turbines are located in the fields and even right in the waters of the Elbe.

Public transport in the city has been converted to electricity, and the fuel cell bus program has become a daily routine. That is why the city already has its own network of hydrogen gas stations. By the way, hydrogen for them is produced by electrolysis (splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen under the influence of an electric current) right in the center of the city, where a small hydrogen "factory" is located.

But back to the culprit of the trip. Toyota went to the show of its electric vehicle on fuel cells, methodically developing environmental technologies. From the first generation of the Prius with a hybrid powertrain back in 1997 to the current Mirai, which is undoubtedly the epitome of the company's automotive future. By the way, Mirai in Japanese means the future. And it would be difficult to dispute the fact that the development of such technologies is recognized by the market. Toyota has sold over 8 million hybrids alone!

And here I am standing next to a production prototype of a hydrogen electric vehicle. The power source for the electric motor in this car is not the battery charge, but the fuel cells. In them, hydrogen and oxygen react to generate electricity. The waste of this reaction is ordinary water.

Serial production of Mirai can be called a stretch. The car is produced on the same conveyor belt in the Japanese Motomachi, Toyota City, where the Lexus LF-A supercar was produced. That is, we are talking about high-precision and technological, but small-scale production. Now the production capacity of Mirai is about 700 cars per year. But by 2017 it is planned to bring it up to 3000 cars / year. Such a small circulation partly explains the high cost of the car. So in Europe one Mirai will cost about 66,000 euros. This does not include government support and compensation. In the United States, with the support of the government, for example, the cost of Mirai is much more modest $ 45,000. But the European price is not so terrible, considering that the car will not only be sold, but transferred to a 4-year lease with a monthly installment in Britain 600 -700 pounds, in Denmark 1050 euros, and in Germany 1200 euros.

It is logical to ask why Toyota has decided to bring such a model to the European market right now? Is it really against the background of the fatal peak of the largest European concern with its diesel gate? It turned out that this hype was just a "pleasant surprise" for the Japanese concern, which has long been competing with VW for world domination. The real reason was the interstate agreement on the standardization of hydrogen transport refueling. In other words, now all hydrogen refueling stations in the world will be equipped with universal refueling nozzles, hydrogen storage systems will receive standardized parameters, and cars will have the same refueling necks.

I wonder why Mirai, so to speak, has a specific design? There are several answers at once. First, Eastern and European views of beauty have always been different. Secondly, the main task of the Mirai's appearance was to emphasize that this is a completely special car, not like all other cars. And thirdly, the design was secondary to the layout. After all, it was important to be able to fit the power plant of an electric vehicle into the dimensions of a mid-size sedan. After all, the length of the Toyota Mirai is 4.89 meters, which is almost the same as that of the Toyota Camry.

The progress in the design and development of fuel cells is very impressive. For 7 years, the FCV block has decreased in size by 58%, became almost half lighter (56 instead of 108 kg), while adding 26% in power. And the specific power has improved 2.2 times

If you are afraid for the reliability of a hydrogen tank, then know that you have tested them ruthlessly. What they just didn’t do. They were dropped, beaten on crash tests with a force of 150 tons, checked with double injection pressure and even shot at them with a rifle.

Although there is no internal combustion engine, the engine compartment is occupied. There is a power flow control unit and a power electronics unit.

After a short look under the cold Hamburg rain, I get behind the wheel. And although there is a lot of unusual things in Mirai, this cannot be said about the cabin. A little fanciful design - that's probably all. Even the unusual automatic transmission selector algorithm is not new. The Prius is the same. So turn on Drive and let's go.

In handling, the car does not differ from Toyota and Lexus hybrids. The same silent start, the same sluggishness of the brake pedal at low speeds. After all, first the recuperation is connected, and only then the pads are grabbed. Traction is normal. Although the technical characteristics of Mіrai are not so impressive, for everyday life they are, as they say, behind the eyes. At first, it seemed that 155 horses and a maximum speed of 190 km / h on the Autobahns would be modest for a car weighing under two tons. But you quickly forget about it. On the highway, the car goes 150-170 km / h, leaving a reserve of traction under the foot. Do I need more? Definitely not on this pouring rain day. When maneuvering, one does not feel that the car is heavy.

On the go, attention is scattered when looking at the dashboard. Perhaps this is a matter of habit, but there are a lot of numbers and icons. And the convenience of the center console with small buttons leaves much to be desired. Although it looks very advanced

The temperature control system in the climate control is borrowed from the Lexus IS. Just as in a smartphone, slide your finger along the touch strip and the climate setting changes

The Mirai is perhaps even more pleasant and agile to drive than the Camry of the same size. The curb weight is considerable - 1850 kg. However, when maneuvering, you don't really feel this, because due to the low center of gravity, the car is very stable. Tank, batteries are not located high. Although the nickel-magnesium battery is located not so low - behind the back of the rear seat.

By the way, the seats themselves are separated by a high armrest with a large niche inside. So Mirai is a purely four-seater.

The most striking impression should have been the process of refueling the car. There is a gas station right in the city near the road. Perhaps, only the inscription "H2" gives out in it "catering" for the cars of the future. The payment process is automated. The money is read from a special card, which is also the access key to the filling terminal. You choose a column, pressure (350 or 700 atmospheres) and that's it.

Then you fit the car to the speaker, turn on the fitting in the connector on the car and press the green button. The system itself determines the free volume in the tank and refills the car. A couple of minutes for everything. No longer than at a regular gas station. This is perhaps one of the key advantages over a conventional electric vehicle. As for the price, I didn't find much benefit here. The price of a kilogram of hydrogen is 9.5 euros. 0.76 kg of hydrogen is used per hundred kilometers. If we recalculate this for consumption, then the amount is quite comparable to spending on a car with a conventional internal combustion engine and significantly more than on a simple electric car and even a plug-in hybrid. So there is still work to be done in this direction.

There are definite plans for the infrastructure. In Germany, it is planned to build a network of 50 stations in addition to several gas stations in Hamburg. And by 2023 to bring their number to 400. In Britain, plans are more modest. 15 at once and 65 by 2020. The third country in this hydrogen cage is Denmark, which is undertaking to create 12 filling stations in the near future. Naturally, all this is done with government support. They plan to invest 650 million euros in the next 6 years.

After passing hundreds of kilometers on the test, we try to dump the accumulated water. In theory, about 7 liters were produced. Most of them got off by ferry. But some accumulates in a separate reservoir and can be removed forcibly by pressing the H2O button to the left of the steering column.

When the rest of the water was poured, not so much of it flowed out - up to a maximum of a liter, and then steam came out. The water has a pronounced synthetic smell, as if boiling water was poured into a plastic container. Although ideally pure water is released during the reaction. The smell comes from plastic piping.

As a result, approaching the Mirai with the standards of a regular sedan would not only be unreasonable, but even ridiculous. After all, the very fact of creating a serial machine with a hydrogen power source is already a huge breakthrough. And the fact that instead of SUVs (as on prototypes) they used the form factor of a sedan, only adds fame and honor to the developers, because the body of a sedan is more complicated to accommodate all the elements of the system. The engineers themselves have thrown a serious challenge, and they themselves have successfully overcome it.

The trunk is small. Like a C-class hatchback. And its transformation is not provided, because one of the tanks and batteries are located behind the seat back

Perhaps the short meeting with the "future" was not as bright as I expected. This can be compared not with traveling through time for decades ahead, but waking up on a new morning. Mirai is the future that is on the doorstep. It is not perfect, but more than real.

Summary

Body and comfort
The electric motor works very quietly and noise isolation from external noise is also excellent. Plenty of legroom for rear passengers, although there are only two of them. Steering wheel heating is standard.	Small trunk and the lack of the ability to transform it. The instrument cluster is very rich in information.
Powertrain and dynamics
Complete environmental friendliness of the power plant. A quick refueling is noticeably more practical than an electric car. Constant thrust reserve. The power reserve is the same as that of a conventional car with an internal combustion engine.	Overclocking "average"
Finance and equipment
At its 66,000 euros, Mirai is well equipped, both in terms of active safety systems and service options.	The cost of 100 km of run is comparable to the cost of driving a conventional car with a gasoline engine.

Toyota Mirai
common data
Body type
Doors / Seats
Dimensions L / W / H, mm
Base, mm
Front / rear track, mm
Clearance, mm
Curb / full weight, kg
Trunk volume, l
Tank volume, l
Engine
A type	synchronous, change. current, with constant. magnet
Power, kW (hp) / rpm
Max. cr. mom., Nm / rpm
Power accumulator. setup	nickel metal hydride
Transmission
type of drive		front
KP
Chassis
Front / rear brakes		disk. vent. / disk.
Suspension front / rear		independent / semi-dependent
Amplifier
Tires
Performance indicators
Maximum speed, km / h
Acceleration 0-100 km / h, s
Ex. highway-city, kg / 100 km
Warranty, years / km

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.

November 2013 was marked by the fact that the Toyota concern presented a new car - a presentable sedan, which was the first to be developed by the company as a hybrid hydrogen fuel cell car.

The presentation was held in one of the largest auto dealerships in Tokyo, where the president of the company announced the name of the original invention, "Toyota Mirai", and also announced the concern's plans for the near future.

Parameters of a hydrogen car from Toyota

The new model was based on Toyota FCV. At the same time, the main systems and units were qualitatively improved and modernized, creating a separate masterpiece of automotive production. Optimum ground clearance of 130 mm, cozy proportions of a four-seater sedan and front-wheel drive complete the basic equipment with R17 alloy wheels and a unique hybrid setup FCA110.

It is this installation that allows the car to perform actions and perform its functions with the help of hydrogen fuel cells - during a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, and the electricity generated as a result.

In this case, the combustion process does not occur, and the conversion of hydrogen into electric current is carried out with a maximum efficiency of 83% (this is with the average efficiency of Toyota engines being 23%).

The electric motor of the new Toyota Mirai has a maximum power of 154 horsepower or 113 kilowatts. The electricity generated by the fuel cells is passed through a special boost converter. Further, there is a conversion of direct current into alternating current, increasing the voltage to 650 volts.

Toyota Mirai - safety on the road and in the atmosphere

We can talk about the advantages of a new car for a long time. They look especially confident and advantageous in comparison with any modern vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines or hybrids. The main advantages of Toyota Mirai are the following:

• Fast refueling - no more than three minutes are spent on refueling two tanks;
• Zero emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere;
• Cruising range with one gas station (one tank is enough for 650 km).

Even in comparison with electric cars, Mirai is a more successful unit, given at least the fact that electric cars are charged for several hours and can travel much less distance on a single charge.

Production vehicles running on hydrogen in Japan and the world

According to rough estimates, the cost of hydrogen cars of the new generation will fluctuate in the range of 57-70 thousand dollars. Toyota Mirai will go into "in-trade" in December 2014 (for the Japanese car market), and sales of the hydrogen Toyota will start in 2015 in Europe and the United States.

Another not fully resolved issue is the problem of refueling hydrogen cars during their mass sale. In some countries, hydrogen filling stations are already starting to emerge, but there has not yet been widespread development.

For example, there are only 82 such filling stations throughout Europe, 124 in America, and 23 hydrogen filling stations in China.

By the way, another Japanese manufacturer announced the other day that it is launching its hydrogen car, the Honda FCV, into the series (the first prototype of the Honda FCX Clarity was released back in 1999) and in 2016 the new Fuel Cell eXperimental Honda will be sold in Japan, Europe and the USA.

Today, almost all world car manufacturers are actively developing cars that run on environmentally friendly fuels. Experts say that in 15-20 years the world will completely switch to this type of transport. For the time being, Toyota remains the leader in this matter. After the release of the famous "Primus", the Japanese decided to go further and develop another environmentally friendly car - the Toyota Mirai with a hydrogen engine. In today's article, we will consider all the features of this new product, as well as list all the advantages and disadvantages of using hydrogen machines.

Characteristic

Toyota Mirai is one of the first Japanese-made sedans that the company decided to produce on a serial scale. By the way, the decision to call this model Mirai was quite justified, because in translation from Japanese this word means "Clean future".

The manufacturer claims that the first production hydrogen Toyota will differ from its counterparts with a large power reserve, which will be 480 kilometers. This is quite enough for everyday use in the city, and for family trips over long distances. But as for long-distance trips, so far it will not be possible to make them on such a car. And here the question is not in the reliability of the design (as always, the Japanese made the car with high quality and "for centuries"), but in the absence of the necessary gas stations. But we'll talk about this a little later.

It is worth noting that Mirai is not the world's first hydrogen-powered car. Toyota has been developing hybrid car models since 1997. It was then that the world public saw the FCHV model with a hydrogen engine in the form of a concept SUV. However, the Japanese did not dare to launch it into large-scale serial production. Most often, this jeep could be found in government agencies and organizations that were testing this type of transport. By the way, it unites BMW and Toyota. The Germans signed a contract with Japanese engineers and by 2020 they plan to create a new environmentally friendly BMW Hydrogen 7 Series sedan.

Pros of a hydrogen car

First, about the benefits. To begin with, a hydrogen-fueled engine does not emit any pollutants, unlike diesel and gasoline. It is worth noting the low cost of operating this type of transport. The fuel itself (hydrogen) can be produced on a small or large scale. This will significantly stabilize the situation with constantly changing fuel prices and distribute more efficiently in the world.

What are the downsides to a hydrogen fuel engine?

Now let's talk about the disadvantages. The main disadvantage of this type of transport is that the hydrogen engine (including Toyota FCV) is more explosive than the classic diesel and gasoline counterparts. This is due to the special chemical composition of hydrogen. By the way, in addition to its explosiveness, it is highly volatile. This characteristic significantly complicates the transportation and refueling of vehicles with hydrogen. Experts also say that the maintenance of such an installation will be more costly than, for example, repairing a diesel internal combustion engine (due to the small number of employees who know a lot about this area). And, of course, the lack of hydrogen filling stations. There are only a few of these in the world, therefore it is very difficult to use such cars now (especially since such a car can be refueled only with the help of special equipment).

Supply issues

The main problem with hydrogen cars is the lack of gas stations where they could be refueled. That is why electric cars are more relevant to the world, since they are charged from an ordinary outlet and even on the go, if there is a solar battery on the roof. But the production of hydrogen plants is already gaining momentum. It is already known about plans to build 20 such gas stations in California. If sales continue to grow, the number of gas stations will be doubled. By the way, this state was chosen for a reason - it is in California that the sales of hydrogen-powered Toyota will begin. But we'll talk about sales at the end of the article, but for now let's look at the exterior of the new product.

Design

The appearance of the new Toyota Mirai is very impressive. A massive aggressive "front end" with a severe wide bumper and slanting headlights immediately catches the eye. The radiator grill is perhaps the smallest and most insignificant element in the exterior.

But even on such a small piece of plastic, the Japanese managed to place their corporate logo, made in chrome style. The machine has a good glazing area. This is especially true for the windshield. The driver will not feel the "blind spots", as all the events around are now visible at a glance. The body has both angular and smoothed aerodynamic features. All this makes the appearance of the sedan very fresh, modern and unique.

Interior

The interior of the car is like a part of a spaceship - a mass of buttons, screens, sensors and all sorts of other stuff. Interestingly, the Japanese did not dare to spend money on the development of two interior layout options - for the European and for the domestic market. They solved the problem with rearranging the rudder very simply by placing all important information devices in the middle of the torpedo.

The panel itself is placed close to the windshield and stretched across its entire width. Further away from it is a massive on-board computer, which is equipped with a built-in navigator function. There is another display below it. And they are separated by two wide air ducts. The same ones are duplicated on the sides of the mirrors, only with a chrome edging in the corner. The steering wheel is also equipped with remote control buttons. There is no gearshift knob in the cabin - most likely, a variator or automatic transmission is used. The speakers are located in the doors, as are the power window control buttons. The steering wheel has a comfortable grip. Overall, the layout is very ergonomic. And even in spite of the mass of buttons (especially since half of them are touch-sensitive), it is not overloaded with unnecessary elements and seems to some extent ascetic.

Specifications

Toyota has released a car with a hydrogen engine that has a large power reserve. The power plant, according to the manufacturers, will have 153 horsepower, which is quite enough for a car of this class. The Japanese do not talk about other engines, and, most likely, only one modification of the novelty with a 153-horsepower environmentally friendly unit will enter the market. The hydrogen engine (2015 Toyota Mirai) runs on special fuel cells. Inside the latter, a reaction takes place, in which hydrogen and oxygen take part. As a result of chemical interaction, powerful energy is generated that feeds the electric motor.

Dynamics and operating costs

The manufacturer says that the dynamic performance of the hydrogen-powered Toyota is no different from its gasoline counterparts. Acceleration from zero to "hundreds" is estimated at 9 seconds. At the same time, engineers note the low cost of travel.

The price of filling a tank for 1 kilometer will be only 10 cents. Thus, to drive a car a hundred kilometers, you need to spend only $ 10. And you can refuel a car in just 5 minutes.

How does a hydrogen engine work?

Surely each of us thought about the principle of operation of this unit. Well, let's take a look at how a hydrogen engine actually works.

The main driving force of these machines is an electrochemical generator (some Japanese call it FC Stack. A reaction takes place inside the electrochemical generator, as a result of which hydrogen is oxidized. It is during this period that the necessary energy is generated, which is then redirected to a compact battery. The latter serves as a power supply for the electric motor. In what form does the hydrogen engine generate waste? "Toyota Mirai" is called an environmentally friendly machine for a reason, since it does not emit poisonous gases at all, but ordinary water.

All this is very good, but there is a force that hinders the development of this type of transport. The main problem is that the processes of making fuel for hydrogen cars are currently underdeveloped and require a lot of money. Moreover, when creating hydrogen, components such as coal and methane are involved. They pollute the atmosphere very much, and therefore there is no sense in using such engines for the sake of "preserving the environment". Of course, there is no waste from the combustion of this fuel (pure water), but in order to prepare it, you need to significantly spoil the atmosphere with dirty emissions. Therefore, more and more specialists are looking for a replacement for the current ICE in solar panels.

By the way, hydrogen does not belong to any unique type of fuel that can be used on only one type of engine. Studies have shown that this product is quite feasible to use on classic internal combustion engines. However, there are consequences after such a reaction. The fact is that hydrogen, when burned in an internal combustion engine, releases only 1/3 of the energy that it would produce on a specialized unit. True, the engineers managed to correct this deficiency. Thanks to the modified ignition system, the efficiency of such engines does not decrease, but, on the contrary, increases by almost 1.5 times from the usual one, which makes the operation of this fuel more favorable and reasonable from an environmental and financial point of view.

But nevertheless, troubles were noticed not only in the field of efficiency. And if the engineers managed to increase the efficiency by improving the ignition system, then they are unable to cope with such problems as a high combustion temperature in the chamber, burnout of pistons and valves. By the way, during prolonged operation, hydrogen is capable of reacting with other components of the engine, including lubrication. And without it, the engine wears out very quickly. In addition, hydrogen, due to its volatility, can penetrate into and ignite there. As for rotary internal combustion engines, due to their simple design and large distance between the manifolds, they are more favorable for using such a fuel as the main one. On this question, how does a hydrogen engine work, can be considered closed.

About cost

According to the manufacturer, the start of sales of Toyota Mirai cars will take place in the spring of 2015. At first, the novelty will be available only on the domestic market, and in the summer it will appear on the European and American markets. The starting price of a hydrogen Toyota is 57.5 thousand dollars. In addition, the company offers to purchase this car on credit with a monthly payment of $ 500. The bonus will be the opportunity to refuel the car for free throughout the year at a gas station in California.

So far, the Japanese Toyota has no competitors among hydrogen cars. At least this will be the case until 2016. The fact is that in March 2016, the new hydrogen car Honda FCV is entering the market. But we will not predict how popular it will be, but for now we will wait for the start of sales of the new Toyota Mirai.

Conclusion

So we figured out why it is so special and how the hydrogen engine works. Toyota is one of the first car manufacturers to seriously consider launching its “environmentally friendly product” into mass production. True, until the problem with filling stations is resolved and in a cheaper way, the company is unlikely to expect great success in the sale of such cars.