Californian drove a hydrogen-powered car for the first time and revealed its true range
- US content creator drove a hydrogen-powered car for the first time
- The 2021 Toyota Mirai is a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle
- He revealed the truth behind its range and charging it
Published on Oct 30, 2024 at 5:31 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Nov 22, 2024 at 8:01 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
One US content creator sat behind the wheel of a hydrogen-powered car for the first time – and he revealed the truth behind its range.
The 2021 Toyota Mirai is a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle.
As the debate about hydrogen vs. electric vehicles rattles on – the car-reviewing YouTuber decided to weigh in.
His findings might surprise you.
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The hydrogen-powered car’s range
Car reviewer Kyle took to the streets of Pasadena, California in the US for his review.
He explains that the Toyota Mirai’s drivetrain consists of a hydrogen fuel cell stack and electric motor.
The fuel cell stack generates electricity by combining hydrogen from the tanks with oxygen from the air – producing only water as a byproduct.
This electricity powers the electric motor and wheels directly or charges a small battery pack when more power is needed to enhance performance.

Putting the pedal to the metal, Kyle explains that it feels similar to an electric vehicle with instant throttle response and a smooth, quiet ride that may feel underpowered alongside its competitors.
He concludes that the range is approximately 574km (357 miles) for the top-tier model, while the base has a slightly higher range of about 647km (402 miles) per the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s estimates.
Price and charging
Built on the same luxury chassis as the Lexus LS, it’s thought to be worth $67,400.
Limited hydrogen infrastructure in the California area could prove to be an issue, however.
In similar news, this man tried living with a hydrogen fuel cell car and found out the reality of it.
Meanwhile, this owner of both a hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai and EV Tesla Model 3 fills them both up and compares the costs.
Last but not least, this YouTuber took his empty Toyota Mirai to a hydrogen station in California to show the real-time for a full refuel.

All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”