Toyota Enrolls its First Hydrogen Electric Vehicle in Spain: A Fleet of 12 Toyota Mirai’s will be put into Circulation

Toyota Spain has registered the first unit of Toyota Mirai, its fuel cell vehicle, which uses hydrogen as a source of energy and has arrived in Spain in the framework of the Climate Summit (COP25) to establish itself as a zero-emission mobility alternative.

Mirai, which means “future” in Japanese, is the materialization of more than 25 years of research by the Toyota group teams. Thanks to the fuel cell technology, it achieves exceptional environmental performance: it does not emit carbon dioxide or local pollutants, only water vapor.

Hydrogen electric vehicles promote the diversification of energy sources, reduce dependence on oil, do not produce emissions and the consumer should not change their habits, therefore, they have enormous potential and can help make sustainable mobility a reality.

Mirai makes it possible to move forward with Toyota’s goal of achieving zero-emissions mobility and reducing CO2 emissions of its new vehicles by 90% in 2050, compared to 2010 levels.

Toyota Spain, Enagás, with its subsidiary Enagás Emprende, and Urbaser will launch the first hydrogen refueling station for fuel cell vehicles, a pioneering project in Spain to boost sustainable mobility based on this energy source. In 2020, a fleet of 12 Toyota Mirai will be registered and put into service, which can be refueled at this station that will be located in Madrid.

Toyota Mirai is the first series-produced fuel cell saloon in the world. It uses hydrogen as a source of energy to generate, within the fuel cell, the electricity needed to power the electric motor, generating water as the only waste in the entire process. The refueling time of these vehicles is only between 3 and 5 minutes, similar to that of a conventional combustion vehicle, so their use does not imply a change of habits for drivers.

Mirai has been recognized with the Zero Emissions environmental label, established by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), and which classifies vehicles according to their polluting potential.

Hydrogen, key in the fight against climate change

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. It is found almost everywhere, from water to plants, and is already powerful enough to provide energy to homes and buildings. Using hydrogen as a source of energy has great advantages: it is an unlimited resource, can be obtained in a sustainable way, allows long-term storage and can be used in very different areas.

At Toyota, we believe that great environmental and social benefits can be derived from the achievement of a future society based on the use of hydrogen and other renewable energy sources, without CO2 emissions. This constitutes an important part of the Toyota 2050 Environmental Challenge and our desire to achieve true harmony between society and nature.

Hydrogen is a clean and efficient means of producing electricity, not vulnerable to fluctuations in the supply of supply such as oil. In addition to not generating CO2 emissions when used, hydrogen also has a higher power density than electric batteries and is easy to transport and store. It can be used not only to provide power to vehicles – individuals but also buses, taxis, forklifts, and others – but also to generate electricity from homes and even factories.