Hydrogen car owner revealed the hidden monthly costs that add up to more than the car payment
- A Toyota Mirai owner revealed the true cost of owning a hydrogen car
- The best part is it takes minutes to fill up the tank
- But everything is a bit problematic
Published on Dec 18, 2024 at 6:41 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Dec 20, 2024 at 3:50 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
The owner of a Toyota Mirai, the most popular hydrogen car in the world, shared the truth about his experience so far.
He’s had ups and downs with the car.
While it is true that charging the car faster than you could with an EV is a huge advantage, the fact that stations are quite difficult to find makes owning a Mirai a bit complicated.
Not to mention the fact it is probably not as inexpensive as he hoped it would be.
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The experience with a Toyota Mirai
As it turns out, hydrogen cars aren’t always that cheap to run.
While it is true that charging a hydrogen fuel cell car takes a few minutes, the car can be more expensive to run than an EV.
The guy behind the Mirai Club YouTube channel explains it quite well in his video.
The biggest problem is that every animal is equal but some animals are more equal than others, it seems, because there are potentially huge discrepancies between stations.
This Toyota Mirai owner said charging the tank of the car can cost as much as $180.
He’s not alone, another Toyota Mirai/content creator had a very similar experience.
Paying $180 for a tank of hydrogen is a bit much, especially when we remember that A, this is for just 340 miles of range and B, that’s basically more than the monthly payment for the car.
Is owning a hydrogen car actually convenient?
With exceptions – the Alpine Alpenglow, for example – hydrogen cars are electric, but they use hydrogen fuel cells instead of batteries.
They charge faster than battery cars, but that’s just about the only true advantage they have at the moment.
There’s a common misconception when it comes to hydrogen cars, because people always say hydrogen is free and it’s the most abundant element in the universe.
True, but hydrogen needs to be stored and pressurized in order to be used as fuel, and that process is expensive and complex.
This explains why only four FCEVs are available as full-fledge production models: the Honda CR-V e:FCEV, the Hyundai Nexo, the BMW iX Hydrogen and the Toyota Mirai.
A user in the comment section of the YouTube video summed it up quite nicely and cleverly.
“So ‘the most abundant resource in the universe’ is more expensive than gasoline. Amazing,” this person wrote.
Well, they’re not wrong.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
