Toyota’s upcoming fuel-cell vehicle will reportedly get the name “Mirai” when it launches in 2015, along with a hefty rebate program in its home market of Japan.
Bloomberg reports that the Mirai name has been trademarked in the United States, but the actual name won’t be revealed until closer to its 2015 on sale date. The word Mirai is said to mean “future” in Japanese.
Just-Auto is reporting that Japan’s government could offer rebates as high as 2 million yen (about $20,000 at current exchange rates), bringing the Toyota FCV’s pricetag down from 7 million yen ($70,000) to about 50,000 yen ($50,000). The government is also piloting an infrastructure project to bring 100 hydrogen fuel stations to the country by March 31, 2015, in an effort to help spur demand.
Plans are afoot to use the first hydrogen cars as taxis and other service vehicles, as a means of creating broader acceptance and reducing petroleum usage.
Literally calling your car the future, eh?
Someone’s confident.
This sounds like the future
There will be a variant called the “Mirai Nikki”, which will come in pink and feature a psychopathic sat-nav voice, while the car itself will autonomously stalk you wherever you go. The trunk serve as storage for all manner of knifes, blades, box cutter, hatchets, etc.
http://bit.ly/1lpaII9
Dammit I wanted to make that joke.
Better Mirai Nikki than Mirai Suenaga, right?
I can just imagine yet another Toyota contest to determine what the plural of Mirai is, ala Prii.
Is it sick to really like that side view and the color?
I know the front is uglier than the District 9 guys.
Finally,! A car to tap into Japan’s many unused underground hydrogen gas domes.
Oh wait … Instead, let’s design, ta da! ;
A vehicle that utilizes the most complex way man has yet thought of to use natural gas.
1. Take natural gas from fracking the earth in one of the world’s most earthquake-prone areas.
2. Pipe the gas to a central depot.
3. Apply electrical power to strip the carbon atom from the hydrogen.
4. Dig a big hole and bury the carbon after saving a bit for carbon black in tires.
5. Stockpile the hydrogen in leaky containers under pressure (all containers are leaky to hydrogen).
6. Pipe the hydrogen to filling stations all over the country.
7. Fill cars like this idiotic one that costs a fortune due to the advance miniatured fuel cell.
8. React oxygen in the air with hydrogen to produce water and electricity.
9. Use a battery to buffer the electrical output of the fuel cell.
10. Apply electrical power to motor which drives vehicle.
11. Sit around and congratulate yourself at the genius of it all.
Or, put natural gas from step 2 above into vehicle with piston engine and drive.
Obviously, too f**king simple for the techno-nerd brainiacs of Japan.
If this is the future, count me out. It’s absurdly idiotic.