- Toyota has given the hydrogen-powered Mirai a few updates for 2024, most notably the new Beyond Zero badge first seen on the Prius.
- The Mirai had its best sales year in 2023, but Toyota still only moved 2737 examples of its fuel-cell sedan.
- While the Mirai handily outsells its only challenger, the Hyundai Nexo, it will soon be joined by a hydrogen version of Honda’s popular CR-V.
Amidst Toyota’s broad lineup of mainstream cars and crossovers and enthusiast-focused sports cars and off-road SUVs, there’s one model that is often overlooked: the hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered Mirai. For 2024, Toyota is reminding us that it still builds this unconventional sedan, giving the Mirai a few upgrades before it prepares to face new competition in the minuscule hydrogen segment in the near future.
The most noticeable change for 2024 is the addition of new Beyond Zero badging. First seen on the 2023 Prius, Toyota has been applying the small circular blue logo to its latest hybrid and electric vehicles, such as the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max. On the Mirai, it’s accompanied by “FCEV” lettering, for fuel-cell electric vehicle. Along with the new emblem, the Mirai is also now offered in a new color called Elemental Silver.
The 2024 Mirai gains the full Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite, which includes driver-assistance features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and pre-collision emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
Mechanically, the Mirai is unchanged. The hydrogen fuel cell powers an electric motor that sends 182 horsepower to the rear wheels. While the trip to 60 mph takes a sluggish 9.1 seconds, the base XLE model is able to travel 402 miles on a tank of hydrogen. Upgrading to the fancier Limited trim sees the range fall to 357 miles. Toyota also provides $15,000 worth of hydrogen for those who take the fuel-cell plunge with the Mirai. The base price rises slightly to $51,215, with the Limited coming in at $68,180.
All told, the changes are minor. But the Mirai, which entered its second generation for 2021, doesn’t have to do much to capture the few buyers interested in experimenting with hydrogen. It is one of just two fuel-cell vehicles currently on sale in the United States. Like its only challenger, the Hyundai Nexo, the Mirai is exclusively offered in California. Last year, Toyota sold 2737 Mirais, and while that number may be small, it was the sedan’s best sales year ever and represented a 31 percent increase over 2022. The Nexo, meanwhile, found just 241 homes, a 41 percent drop versus 2022.
Soon the Mirai will face new competition, with Honda set to launch a hydrogen-powered version of its popular CR-V crossover this year. The vehicle will be built at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio that formerly built the Acura NSX. Honda said last year that the new fuel-cell system is more durable and costs two-thirds less to build than the setup in its previous effort, the Clarity Fuel Cell. With the recent announcement that General Motors and Honda’s joint venture to build fuel-cell systems in Michigan is underway, the next hydrogen competitor to the Mirai is just around the corner.
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
