On August 23rd and 24th, a 2021 Toyota Mirai set a Guinness World Record when it drove 845 miles on a single, five minute fill-up of hydrogen. It’s the longest distance traveled by a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle without refueling.
Driven by professional hypermiler Wayne Gerdes and co-piloted by Bob Winger, Mirai achieved 152 MPGe with water as its only emission. To prove that the car wasn’t refilled, the tank was sealed by a Guinness Book representative.
On Monday, the pair left the Toyota Technical Center in Gardena, California and logged 473 miles, changing drivers twice. On Tuesday, they racked up another 372 more miles.
For the trip, the vehicle used 5.65 kg of hydrogen. At about $16 per kilogram, that works out to about $100 in fuel — but remember, the only emission was water. According to the team, the Mirai mainly was driven during rush hour traffic using hypermiling techniques.
The hypermiling techniques work best under specific weather and driving conditions. For example, the temperatures ranged between 65 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit during their journey. So while they did some of the basics, like making sure the engine was tuned correctly, the wheels were aligned, and the tires perfectly inflated, they also made sure to avoid quick acceleration or heavy braking as well as driving at higher speeds. They also cut back on anything running mechanical and electrical accessories, like the air conditioner.
The 2021 Toyota Mirai XLE has an MSRP of $49,500. While the professional drivers hit 152 MPGe, the car typically gets up to 76 MPGe in the city and 71 MPGe on the highway. The XLE has a total range of about 402 miles, and fueling time averages around five minutes, though it varies based on pressure and ambient temperature. Toyota offers incentives, including up to $15,000 of free fuel, for those who remain hesitant on hydrogen fuel cell tech.
During the trip, the car emitted zero pounds of CO2. For comparison, a standard internal combustion engine vehicle would have emitted about 664 lbs. of CO2, according to Toyota.
Drivers Gerdes and Winger are familiar with hypermiling. The pair have also combined to achieve Guinness World Records for lowest fuel consumption driving to the 48 contiguous U.S. States (in a diesel car) and lowest fuel consumption driving across the U.S. from coast to coast (in a hybrid car).
In 2015, the pair visited all 48 contiguous U.S. states averaging 81.17 mpg in a 2015 V.W. Golf TDI. In 2016, Gerdes traveled from Los Angeles City Hall to New York City Hall in a 2017 Kia Niro, achieving 76.551 miles per gallon.
