Toyota has confirmed that it will launch a
second-generation version of the Toyota Mirai despite the slow sales of the
fuel-cell vehicle. Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada confirmed that the second-generation
Mirai will launch in 2020 while speaking at an international ministerial
meeting on hydrogen energy in Tokyo earlier this week, Reuters reports.
CNET spoke with Toyota directly and received
confirmation that a new Mirai is indeed in the works, but the automaker failed
to specify an exact date. It is reasonable to assume that the new vehicle would
first be sold in Japan before being launching in other markets early next
decade.
The Mirai has only ever sold low numbers in the
United States. This is primarily due to the fact that it is only available in
California and Hawaii and to those who live or work close enough to a hydrogen
refueling station. CNET reports that there are only a couple dozen hydrogen
stations in California and just one where the FCV can be topped up in Hawaii. The automaker says it wants to
launch the Mirai in other areas of the United States including the Northeast,
where it’s building adequate hydrogen infrastructure.
A promising new rival to Toyota’s advanced fuel-cell
vehicle landed on U.S. shores late last year in the form of the Hyundai Nexo.
It has a base price of US$ 58,300, undercutting the Mirai by a mere US$ 65, and
owners are provided with up to US$ 13,000 worth of hydrogen refuelling cards that
can be used within the first three years of ownership.
