By now, it’s clear to just about everyone that electric cars are the future of clean transportation, but there are still three hydrogen fuel cell cars on the market. One of them just got a lot cheaper, in interesting ways.
Hydrogen fuel cells are one of several technologies car companies use in an attempt to make cars with low-to-zero emissions. Hydrogen-fueled cars are essentially electrics that make their own power from a hydrogen chemical reaction. The only emission is water from the tailpipe. Since hydrogen is Earth’s most abundant element, in theory, supplies of the fuel are nearly endless.
In practice, there aren’t a lot of places to refuel one.
Three remain on the market. The Honda Clarity and Hyundai Nexo have prices that start around the $50,000 mark. The Toyota Mirai was more expensive in 2020, nearly $60,000. Next year, though, the Toyota will get a whole lot cheaper.
The base price for Toyota’s hydrogen 4-door has dropped to $49,500 for 2021. But it’s the other incentives that really make news. Buyers of a new Mirai will get about $15,000 worth of free fuel, and access to a free rental car for up to 21 days during the first three years of ownership.
That still doesn’t make the Mirai a reasonable option in much of the country. Hydrogen refueling stations remain rare outside California. We’re aware of 44 open to the public, 42 of them in the Golden State, with one in Connecticut and one in Hawaii.
But if most of your driving is in the few areas where hydrogen fuel is readily available, there are few, if any, $50,000 cars that come with $15,000 worth of free fuel. And when you need to take a road trip, that’s what the free rental car is for.
The 2021 Mirai is all-new. It employs the same rear-wheel drive architecture as the Lexus LS, promising a smooth, untroubled ride. It features a surprisingly spacious interior that borrows design elements from the Supra sports car. The standard XLE trim is well-appointed enough to meet most owners’ needs, while a step up to the Limited grade adds three-zone climate control, ambient lighting, heated seats at all positions, and a panoramic roof
