Hydrogen car: Electric with a charging time of just three minutes

A chic electric car without the hassle of tangled cables. In short, this is the Toyota Mirai, which gets its electricity from hydrogen. And that directly on board, where a fuel cell converts the hydrogen into electricity, which powers the 182 hp car.

And this ride is moving forward rapidly, as is the case with the stepless momentum of electric cars. The second generation five-seater Toyota Mirai is extremely comfortable and extremely quiet to drive. The torque is high at 300 Newton meters and the acceleration from standstill is very attractive as that of a battery electric car.

The hydrogen vehicle does not need a large and heavy battery, but tanks for hydrogen H2. The tanks have a capacity of 5.6 kilograms of H2, which is available under a pressure of 700 bar. They can be filled like gasoline at gas stations and refueling is almost as fast as with gasoline. A full tank is sufficient for about 550 kilometers.

The network of filling stations is constantly being expanded for hydrogen trucks

Then you have to refuel. There are only eleven filling stations in Switzerland that offer hydrogen. But the network is constantly growing and a twelfth is currently being deployed. These hydrogen filling stations are primarily intended for H2 trucks, which are increasingly used in Switzerland, but of course they also fill hydrogen cars such as the Toyota Mirai.

There are only two hydrogen production facilities in Switzerland and a third plant in Bürglen in the canton of Uri is under preparation. They must also ensure that the filling stations can be safely supplied. Because during a tank test with the Mirai, the hydrogen at a filling station actually ran out because trucks had filled their tanks earlier and the delivery was too late.

It can also happen that the tanks in the car are not 100 percent full because there is no pressure in the system. When asked about the lack of fuel, the gas station attendant pointed to the H2 app. This app shows where H2 filling stations are and whether hydrogen is actually available there.

Summary of the test drive

On the ride there was nothing to complain about with the sporty Toyota Mirai, which costs 61,200 francs in the base. With a length of 4.97 meters, the Mirai is both a stately and comfortable sedan. All five seats are soft and comfortable, but the back seat is a bit tighter due to the sporty sloping roofline. The trunk is not very large with a capacity of 350 liters.

The digital cockpit with the large screen with information about the driving status and the fuel cell is striking. The car looks as modern as a vehicle with future-oriented technology should be.

(aargauerzeitung.ch)