Automotive Business Review February 2015 | Page 14

by Frank Beeton

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A probing review
of significant global
motor industry news

Is Mirai the Future?
Well, in one respect it is, because the
word “mirai” means “future” in Japanese.
However, the real issue is whether Toyota’s
Mirai fuel cell vehicle (FCV) will be the
broader global motoring community’s first
real entry point to the zero emission vehicle
experience. Of course, there are a number
of FCV’s already on the roads of the world,
mainly engaged in test or experiencegathering exercises. Notably, Hyundai
started delivering FCV’s to public sector
operators in Europe in October 2011, and
subsequent deliveries have included fullproduction hydrogen powered ix35 Fuel Cell
models to the London Hydrogen Network
Expansion project in the United Kingdom, as
well as municipalities in Belgium, Denmark
and Sweden.
The Toyota Mirai mid-size sedan will
be made available for sale or lease to
customers in California, from the third
quarter of 2015, at a “sticker” price of
US$ 57 500, and its availability to other
markets will be rolled out as convenient
hydrogen refueling infrastructure becomes
available to the public. Up till now, the
main limiting factors restricting the use of
hydrogen-fuelled vehicles have been the
lack of this infrastructure, and concerns over
the safety of vehicle on-board hydrogen
storage.
According to Toyota’s announcement, the
Mirai can be refueled in about five minutes,
and has an operating range of some 483 km
(300 miles) on a full tank of hydrogen. Its fuel
cell stack is located under the front seats,
is said to develop 153 hp, and enables a
0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) acceleration time
of 9,0 seconds. It will be offered with an
optional power take off that can be used
to energise home essentials in an average
house for up to a week in an emergency.
Toyota has addressed the issue of on-board
safety by fitting the Mirai with carbon-fibre

➲ Toyota’s Mirai Fuel Cell Vehicle. Is this our first real look at the future of the automobile?
high-pressure hydrogen tanks, tested for
extreme strength and durability in crash
situations, and has built in a high level of
collision safety for both the tanks and fuel
cell stack. Other safety features include
vehicle pre-collision preparation, blind
spot monitor, lane departure alert, drive
start control and automatic headlight high
beams. The fuel cell components will be
covered by an eight year/100 000 mile
warranty, and complimentary hydrogen
fuel is to be supplied to the owner for up
to three years. By the end of 2015, it is
expected that 20 hydrogen stations will be
open to the California public, increasing to
48 by the end of 2016, by which time 12
additional stations are due to be opened
in the American states of New York, New
Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and
Rhode Island.

Maybach is Back, Leading
Mercedes’ New Naming
Strategy
The Maybach name first gained global
fame when it was associated with lighterthan-air airship engines during the period
between the First and Second World Wars.

| words in action

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The company also built some ultra-luxury
motorcars in the 1930’s, but mainly
concentrated on very powerful petrol and
diesel engines for aeronautical, marine and
rail applications.
In March 2002, Daimler revived the
Maybach name, to which it owned the
commercial rights, for an ultra-prestigious
new line of super-luxury cars, powered by a
550 hp twin-turbo V12 engine. Subsequent
models included the 57 S, introduced
in 2006, with a torque output of 1000
Nm, and the nostalgically-named limited
edition 640 hp Zeppelin in 2009, which
even featured a push-button perfume
atomiser to ensure that only the most
appropriate fragrances were distributed to
the inhabitants!
As it turned out, Maybach sales volumes
proved to be less than expected, and the
last of that series was manufactured in
December 2012. A subsequent review of
the brand strategy by the parent company
resulted in a decision not to continue with
Maybach as a stand-alone “halo” name,
but to rather re-introduce it as MercedesMaybach, this sub-brand being used to
differentiate an enhanced, exclusive version
of Mercedes-Benz S-Class flagship range.

FEBRUARY 2015