Full technical specifications for the 2021 Toyota Mirai have been announced for the U.S. market. Underpinning the new car is Toyota’s GA-L platform that allowed the company to move the fuel cell stack from beneath the cabin to the front compartment. This provides the second-generation Mirai with better chassis balance while also resulting in a more spacious, five-seat cabin. In addition, the new layout meant Toyota could fit three high-pressure hydrogen tanks.
These tanks are arranged in a ‘T’
configuration, with the longest running longitudinally beneath the vehicle
floor and the two smaller ones positioned laterally beneath the rear seats and
luggage compartment. These new tanks can hold 5.6 kg of hydrogen compared to
the 4.6 kg of the outgoing model. Toyota has also shifted the high-voltage
battery and electric motor above the rear axle, giving the Mirai a perfect
50:50 weight distribution.
The 2021 Toyota Mirai also features a new
fuel cell stack that, like the outgoing model, uses solid polymer but is
smaller, has fewer cells but greater power density. The fuel cell DC-DC
converter is also 21 per cent smaller and 2.9 kg lighter than the outgoing
model. Also new for the 2021 model is a lithium-ion high-voltage battery in
place of the previous car’s nickel-metal hydride unit, which is also more
power-dense and 2.6 kg lighter.
The new powertrain delivers 180 hp and 300 Nm of torque. The fuel cell sedan also has an EPA-estimated range
of approximately 650 km, a healthy improvement over the 502 km)of the outgoing model. U.S. customers will be able to buy the 2021
Mirai in XLE and Limited grades. Pricing details haven’t been announced.
