Toyota Mirai sets the autonomy record; GAC launches a new hydrogen IC engine
Mirai’s long journey without the need to refuel has showcased the power of fuel cell electric technology.
The 2021 Toyota Mirai has officially set the Guinness World Records title for the longest distance by a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle without refuelling.
The fuel cell car achieved an unprecedented 1360 km (845 miles) driven on a single, five-minute complete fill of hydrogen during a roundtrip tour of Southern California as it set the record.
The two-day (23-24 August 2021) journey started at the Toyota Technical Center (TTC) in Gardena, California, travelled south to San Ysidro and then north to Santa Barbara, cruising through Santa Monica and Malibu beach along the Pacific Coast Highway. It returned to TTC that evening and logged 473 miles with only two driver swaps that day. The next day Toyota Mirai travelled more local driving loops going through 372 more miles on the San Diego freeway between Los Angeles and Orange County until the car had no more hydrogen left.
Separately, in China, GAC Group has successfully ignited its first independently developed hydrogen engine marked its entry into the zero-carbon emission era. The fourth-generation engine technology using core hydrogen engine technology as a foundation include the newly developed combustion chamber, which improves the mixing process of hydrogen and air, and improvements to the hydrogen supply system, which improves power density and reduces the risk of hydrogen leakage. The target thermal efficiency of this engine is expected to exceed 44%, a leading domestic standard.
