Publish : 07 Nov 2021, 06:45 PMUpdate : 07 Nov 2021, 08:47 PM
A few weeks ago, Dhaka Tribune published an article suggesting Hydrogen fuel cell cars are going to make a comeback, despite the world moving aggressively towards electric vehicles (EVs).
Last month, Tijarah Motors limited imported the first hydrogen-powered car in Bangladesh, the Toyota Mirai.
While the technology was interesting, the car was uninspiring to drive, according to many consumers and car enthusiasts and refuelling was a major challenge.
Toyota's second-generation Mirai hydrogen FCEV is upon us, with a sharp new look, a lower price, a better platform, more range, and updated technology.
The 2021 model is now bigger and built on the same RWD platform as the Lexus LS sedan, with seating for five.
The driving range has increased 30% over its predecessor, while power is up slightly, with 182hp and 300ft-lb of torque.
Its high-performance fuel cell is backed by a battery that also stores the braking energy.
The exterior is modern and sophisticated, and the RWD proportions are outstanding. The car looks futuristic and follows the same design language as Toyota’s flagship brand Lexus.
Even though Toyota made sure not to compromise on the build quality, the interior awfully resembles the Camry, with more buttons and knobs than one would like to have. The world of luxury automobiles is moving towards minimalism, which the Mirai lacks.
The 2021 Mirai is reasonably spacious inside, but this sense of space is hampered by a high cowl in the middle, and by one of the hydrogen tanks, which takes up a lot of space, and makes the rear middle seat pretty cramped.
The infotainment system consists of a 13.2-inch touch screen with navigation and a 14-speaker JBL-branded audio system, but somehow the interface feels quite sluggish.
This is something Toyota users have complained about for decades as the interiors of the mid-ranged vehicles and to some extent, even the flagships models feel uninspired and boring.
Despite the cabin being quiet while driving, it just does not feel quite as modern as a Lexus would, even though the Mirai was based on one.
The specific car that was imported, features a Metallic blue colour with a Beige interior. The 185 horsepower, 154KW hydrogen fuel-cell car is extremely efficient when it comes to fuel consumption.
With a tank capacity of five kilos, the Mirai achieves a range of more than 500 kilometres. With one litre of hydrogen, Toyota promises a driving range of 100 to 125 kilometres with zero CO2 emission.
With Dhaka’s traffic, you shouldn’t be counting on these figures, but still, the numbers shouldn’t be too far off.
The biggest challenge overall is that hydrogen refuelling stations are rare everywhere, and not to mention in Bangladesh as well.
Yes, even though once it is fully refuelled, it can go long-range, but still, it is something that would bug an owner in the back of their mind.
The Japanese word Mirai directly translates to “Future” and that’s something Toyota claims that the Hydrogen fuel-cell is for the automobile industries, but no other key brands seem to follow this route.
Instead, more and more automakers are moving towards making their electric vehicles more efficient.
Tijarah Motors let us know that the only Mirai that they have imported have already been sold, but the showroom which is located at the capital’s Tejgaon-Gulshan link road can arrange imports upon customer’s demand.
Toyota’s hydrogen car now in Dhaka
A few weeks ago, Dhaka Tribune published an article suggesting Hydrogen fuel cell cars are going to make a comeback, despite the world moving aggressively towards electric vehicles (EVs).
Last month, Tijarah Motors limited imported the first hydrogen-powered car in Bangladesh, the Toyota Mirai.
While the technology was interesting, the car was uninspiring to drive, according to many consumers and car enthusiasts and refuelling was a major challenge.
Toyota's second-generation Mirai hydrogen FCEV is upon us, with a sharp new look, a lower price, a better platform, more range, and updated technology.
The 2021 model is now bigger and built on the same RWD platform as the Lexus LS sedan, with seating for five.
The driving range has increased 30% over its predecessor, while power is up slightly, with 182hp and 300ft-lb of torque.
Its high-performance fuel cell is backed by a battery that also stores the braking energy.
The exterior is modern and sophisticated, and the RWD proportions are outstanding. The car looks futuristic and follows the same design language as Toyota’s flagship brand Lexus.
Even though Toyota made sure not to compromise on the build quality, the interior awfully resembles the Camry, with more buttons and knobs than one would like to have. The world of luxury automobiles is moving towards minimalism, which the Mirai lacks.
The 2021 Mirai is reasonably spacious inside, but this sense of space is hampered by a high cowl in the middle, and by one of the hydrogen tanks, which takes up a lot of space, and makes the rear middle seat pretty cramped.
The infotainment system consists of a 13.2-inch touch screen with navigation and a 14-speaker JBL-branded audio system, but somehow the interface feels quite sluggish.
This is something Toyota users have complained about for decades as the interiors of the mid-ranged vehicles and to some extent, even the flagships models feel uninspired and boring.
Despite the cabin being quiet while driving, it just does not feel quite as modern as a Lexus would, even though the Mirai was based on one.
The specific car that was imported, features a Metallic blue colour with a Beige interior. The 185 horsepower, 154KW hydrogen fuel-cell car is extremely efficient when it comes to fuel consumption.
With a tank capacity of five kilos, the Mirai achieves a range of more than 500 kilometres. With one litre of hydrogen, Toyota promises a driving range of 100 to 125 kilometres with zero CO2 emission.
With Dhaka’s traffic, you shouldn’t be counting on these figures, but still, the numbers shouldn’t be too far off.
The biggest challenge overall is that hydrogen refuelling stations are rare everywhere, and not to mention in Bangladesh as well.
Yes, even though once it is fully refuelled, it can go long-range, but still, it is something that would bug an owner in the back of their mind.
The Japanese word Mirai directly translates to “Future” and that’s something Toyota claims that the Hydrogen fuel-cell is for the automobile industries, but no other key brands seem to follow this route.
Instead, more and more automakers are moving towards making their electric vehicles more efficient.
Tijarah Motors let us know that the only Mirai that they have imported have already been sold, but the showroom which is located at the capital’s Tejgaon-Gulshan link road can arrange imports upon customer’s demand.
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