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Toyota Mirai Exceeds Expectations with 1,500 Orders In Japan Already

The hydrogen fuel cell pioneering has already begun in Japan and, contrary to Toyota’s believes, the Mirai managed to receive an exceptional 1,500 orders in the first month of sale there.
Toyota Mirai 4 photos
Photo: Toyota
Toyota MiraiToyota MiraiToyota Mirai
Toyota Motor Corporation was first expecting to sell around 400 Mirai fuel cell cars by the end of 2014, but there were so many orders placed that the company needs to shift production into high gear to meet the demand.

Currently, the Mirai is being assembled by hand at the ex-Lexus LFA plant at Toyota’s Motomachi facility in Toyota City. The LFA Works plant carefully manufactured all the 500 Lexus supercars between 2010 and 2012, after which it started building $10,000 carbon fiber bicycles for enthusiasts and elite clients.

The pioneers

Early adopters of Toyota’s hydrogen fueled tech will be the first to experience the new age of green motoring, with the Mirai working on electricity generated by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen happening in its floor-mounted fuel cell.

The only thing the Mirai emits is clean water droplets (although the company said it’s not advising you to drink it), but we all know the car’s green character could be spoiled by the hydrogen extraction method.

To encourage the new technology however, the Mirai’s price in Japan is roughly split 60:40 between government and buyers and the final customer price is comparable to an entry-level luxury sedan.

Towards the end of this year, the Mirai will start being offered in Europe and North America. Toyota also made all of its hydrogen fuel cell tech patents available for others, free of any royalties, to encourage the adoption of the new powertrain.
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