Akio Toyoda has seen the future, and it’s called “Mirai”. That’s the name of Toyota’s new fuel cell vehicle, which the company’s president announced in a video released the day before the car’s official launch.
Mirai, which means future in Japanese, represents a turning point for the automotive industry, offering the promise of a world that is safer, greener and easier for everyone. This groundbreaking vehicle has the cruising range of a conventional sedan, can be refueled in less than five minutes and emits only water vapor. In Akio Toyoda’s words: “This is a car that lets you have it all with no compromises.”
Transcript of Akio Toyoda’s Announcement Video
Today, we are at a turning point in automotive history.
A turning point where people will embrace a new, environmentally-friendly car that is a pleasure to drive.
A turning point where a four-door sedan can travel 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen, can be refueled in under five minutes and emit only water vapor.
A turning point that represents many years and countless hours of work by our team to create a car that redefines the industry.
All of us at Toyota believe in a future that will be safer, greener and easier for everyone.
We imagined a world filled with vehicles that would diminish our dependence on oil and reduce harm to the environment.
It was a bold, but inspiring goal. And, today it is a reality.
Our fuel cell vehicle runs on hydrogen that can be made from virtually anything, even garbage!
It has a fuel cell that creates enough electricity to power a house for about a week.
This is a car that lets you have it all with no compromises.
As a test driver, I knew this new fuel cell vehicle had to be truly fun to drive – and believe me, it is. It has a low center of gravity, which gives it very dynamic handling.
After surviving millions of miles on the test track and 10 years of testing on public roads in freezing cold and scorching heat…
After passing extensive crash tests…
And after working with local governments and researchers around the world to help make sure it is easy and convenient to refuel…
We are ready to deliver.
The name we’ve given to our new car is Mirai, which in Japanese means ‘future’.
We believe that behind the wheel of the Mirai, we can go places we have never been, to a world that is better, in a car that is better.
For us, this isn’t just another car. This is an opportunity–an opportunity to really make a difference. And making a difference is what Toyota is all about.
The future has arrived. And it’s called Mirai.
