A Used Toyota Mirai from the US: When Age is Just a Number, and Hydrogen Has More Energy Than Coffee on a Monday!

On a warm, sunny afternoon, with the scent of fresh grass in the air, the R&D Center Future Solutions and ECM teams decided to do something unprecedented – test a first-generation, used Toyota Mirai. With 75,000 kilometers on the odometer, this hydrogen-powered car faced its most critical reviewers – both the male and female members of the team. To keep things fair and avoid potential arguments over the car’s paint color, everyone had their own task: from thoroughly assessing seat comfort to carefully listening to the sound of the drive. Or rather – the lack of it, since the Mirai drives almost silently.

8 Years and Still Shining!

At first glance, it’s clear that the Toyota Mirai hasn’t succumbed to the passage of time. An eight-year-old car? Most vehicles of that age would show wear and tear, but not the Mirai! Its exterior still looks futuristic, and the interior – oh, that interior – felt more like the cockpit of a spaceship than a car ready for a budget vacation in Podkarpacie.

“This really feels like a ship from Star Wars! All it’s missing is R2-D2,” said our tester, Dorota, as she used the touchscreen climate control, which worked as smoothly as the day it left the factory. The Mirai is packed with technology that many new cars can only dream of.

Refueling – Quicker Than Making a Coffee

The part of the test that we were most anxious about – refueling the hydrogen-powered car – turned out to be… lightning fast! Filling up the Toyota Mirai took less time than our usual coffee break (including the selection of lactose-free milk). The process was simple, clean, and – most importantly – fast.

“I don’t know why I thought it would be more complicated!” remarked Dorota Janusz, our female tester, who handled the refueling with ease.

And that’s it? Refueling the Mirai is as quick and simple as popping a capsule into a coffee machine. But instead of a caffeine boost, the car gets clean, eco-friendly power. And it’s truly eco-friendly – the only emission is… water.

You might expect a car with eight years on the road and 75,000 kilometers under its belt to show signs of wear. Not at all! The Toyota Mirai drove as smoothly as if it had just rolled out of the showroom. Its reliability left a strong impression on us – not once did it hesitate or give us any cause for concern.

However, the hydrogen refueling infrastructure is still an issue. Fortunately, the ECM ecosystem project includes plans to equip each cluster with hydrogen refueling stations. The project, codenamed SHES, will be detailed on our website. I’ll just add that the first station will be built in the Energy Cluster LAB ONE in Gniewino.

Modernity in Old Bones

During our test, we realized that despite its age, the Toyota Mirai I is still a modern vehicle. It’s not just about its sleek design or advanced onboard systems – it’s the entire philosophy behind the car. Eco-friendly, quiet, and dynamic, the Mirai prioritizes both driver comfort and the environment, even cleaning the air as it drives.

Finances

Unfortunately, the cost of purchasing a new hydrogen vehicle is still high compared to conventional cars. Additionally, the cost per 100 kilometers can be significant. During our test, depending on driving style, the Mirai consumed between 0.8 and 1.4 kg of hydrogen. The average range was about 400 km. Despite this, we took the Mirai on a longer route. The price we paid for hydrogen was an average of 69 PLN per kilogram. The numbers speak for themselves!

That said, let’s not forget – this test car is used and costs only a third of the price of a new one. Refueling costs remain a challenge, but the decentralized ECM energy ecosystem offers a solution. It allows users to configure their own unique energy portfolios and generate energy independently. The system, through the Energy Exchange Platform Tron, enables energy use in any cluster and with any medium, including green hydrogen.

Conclusion

We all agreed after the test – the Toyota Mirai I deserves a medal for durability. It proved that even a hydrogen car can compete with younger vehicles on the market. And when it comes to reliability? The Toyota Mirai is unbeatable – age and mileage mean little when you’re dealing with such solid engineering.

The R&D Center Future Solutions and ECM Teams