Redesigned 2021 Toyota Mirai Prototype Impresses in D.C.

By Michael Kinney - February 7, 2020

A far cry from the previous generation, new Mirai is more smooth-looking luxury coupe than futuristic EV.

When Toyota unveiled the 2021 Mirai at the recent Washington Auto Show, the automaker didn’t hold back on the theatrics. Not only was the new hybrid placed on a podium, it was covered with a tarp for much of the first day of the auto show to build anticipation.

When Toyota executives finally pulled the cover off to show the newest generation of the Mirai, they were also showing a portion of their vision of the hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle-powered future. And Toyota’s vision looks pretty good.

“We are committed to fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) as an elegantly sustainable powertrain because it’s a clean, scalable platform that can meet a broad range of mobility needs with zero emissions,” said Jackie Birdsall, Toyota’s Senior Fuel Cell Engineer, at the recent L.A. Auto Show, where the car debuted. “In fact, I believe that hydrogen-powered FCEVs will one day be as common as our hybrids. Actually, Toyota began developing this technology at the same time as hybrid-electrics, though the first fuel cell vehicle didn’t hit the road until Mirais debuted in 2015.”

You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

What is most striking about the newest generation of the Mirai is how different it is from the first iteration. Birdsall called the 2021 Mirai the most advanced electric vehicle on the market; yet, she admitted the first generation of the Mirai had an auspicious start.

‘We knew we had to focus on a car that would gain mass appeal. We wanted to dispel the stigma that eco-friendly cars cannot fully replace our gasoline vehicles.’

When it hit the market for the 2015 model year (below), the Mirai had great specs, but didn’t exactly set the market on fire. Toyota only sold 6,000 Mirais in the United States since its release.

So, what went wrong with the 2015 Toyota Mirai?

It was a number of factors: The reviews were lukewarm, design was clunky, and the market seemed hesitant to embrace a hydrogen-powered vehicle

“With numbers like these, it does beg the question: Is there a place for FCEVs in our line-up? The answer is yes,” Birdsall said. “But much like Toyota has had to educate consumers on the benefits of hybrids, we will have to take the same road for hydrogen fuel cells.”

But that just motivated the company to do it better the next time around. Which is where the 2021 Mirai comes into the picture.

Paving the Road Ahead

The newest Mirai has upgraded the FCEV powertrain with enhanced performance, a 400-mile driving range with increased hydrogen capacity and other enhanced features.

“We knew we had to focus on a car that would gain mass appeal,” Birdsall said. “We wanted to dispel the stigma that eco-friendly cars cannot fully replace our gasoline vehicles.”

Another major change was the platform, the 20201 second-generation Mirai is built on a rear-wheel drive platform, as opposed to the original’s front-wheel drive. “We started with a premium rear-wheel drive platform, which allowed us to make this Mirai lower, longer, wider and more aerodynamic than its predecessor,” added Birdsall.

And it looks good. It is bolder, tougher, and shapely. The 20-inch alloy wheels are a great addition, and this feels like a vehicle where form and function work together successfully. We’re certainly tempted to hop in and go for a spin.

Of course, what makes the Mirai special is its hydrogen fuel cell. At its core, the new Mirai is an electric vehicle, but it never needs to be plugged in to recharge. An FCEV generates its own electricity onboard from hydrogen and oxygen, with water as the only tailpipe emission.

According to Toyota, a fill-up takes just about five minutes at an SAE-conforming hydrogen fueling station in California or Hawaii. Other stations are coming soon to the Northeast and other areas.

“In most areas of the U.S. fuel cell vehicles aren’t available because the hydrogen infrastructure isn’t in place,” Birdsall said. “In California, we have 39 stations. In the Northeast, we are well on our way to achieve our goal of developing a phased in network of 12 hydrogen stations from Massachusetts to New York. These states and locations have been strategically selected to support the greater New York and Boston areas as well as provide the backbone of a hydrogen highway for the northeast corridor.”

Like much of their display at the Washington Auto Show, Toyota is looking into the future of what transportation can become. They believe the Mirai and its new fuel cell technology will be a big part of the coming wave of new green cars.

“The possibilities are endless. You can imagine as we ramp up manufacturing of our fuel cells the cost comes down, which allows us to introduce more new and innovative fuel cell solutions to reduce our negative impact on the planet,” says Birdsall. “In fact, we can no longer talk about the electrification of transportation and renewable energy without including the role of hydrogen and fuel cells.”

Bottom line, we think the future of the Mirai is rife with possibility. It looks luxe, has a smoother coupe design, and delivers the bottom line: a satisfying driver experience and performance.