Man encounters unexpected issue when charging Toyota Mirai
- This YouTuber has opened up about an issue he’s encountered whilst owning a Toyota Mirai
- His complaint is shared by other owners of hydrogen cars
- It speaks to a wider issue which has been discussed by other YouTubers
Published on Dec 26, 2024 at 6:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Nov 27, 2024 at 2:27 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This Toyota Mirai owner has opened up about one issue he has encountered whilst at the hydrogen refill station.
Tommy, the host of The Fast Lane Car, outlined the problem in a video for his one million subscribers.
The Mirai is one of the few hydrogen cars available in California.
Whilst hydrogen is increasingly popular, there is one big downside that keeps rearing its head.
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What was the issue with the Toyota Mirai?
Hydrogen is widely cited as a more eco-conscious alternative to gas cars, alongside electric vehicles.
However, with the technology being relatively new, there are issues that need to be ironed out at some point.
The availability of stations being a prime example of this.
This problem was previously pinpointed by another YouTuber, Out of Spec Reviews.
There are 59 refilling stations in the whole of the US, with the majority of them being based in California.
Whilst there is also one in Hawaii and some are planned to be built in the North East, this is still not a lot for such a vast country.
As Tommy paid a visit to a hydrogen refill station, he noted that the process was also quite lengthy.
There was only hydrogen pump at the station, meaning there was a 20 minute wait to get the recharge going.
Once it got started, it was a relatively quick job however.
What other owners had to say
At one point in the video, Tommy spoke to fellow hydrogen vehicle owners at the station to get a sense of what their gripes were.
There were common complaints among them, namely relating to long waiting times and issues with the equipment.
It’s clear that expanded infrastructure is desperately needed to accommodate the growing demand for hydrogen cars.
As of October 2024, there are 17,000 hydrogen cars driving on American roads.
By comparison, there are over two million EVs in the USA.
There’s still a way to go for hydrogen to catch up to EV.
There are plenty of EVs to go around, with Tesla leading the way.
One new model on the horizon is the Tesla Model Y Juniper, prototypes of which were recently spotted in China.
To see what hydrogen vehicle owners had to say, head over to The Fast Lane Car‘s YouTube channel.
