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According to khabarkhodro,The Toyota Mirai just set a record, but what for?
When
a car manufacturer announces they set a record, it's easy to think it's a top
speed run or a lap time. Of course, there are other things to chase aside from
speed or time records. Some of it are much more achievable, such as economy run
records.
Over
the years, many have taken on the one tank record. Most of the time, it's with
a car powered by an internal combustion engine. However, there is one record
that hasn't been tapped yet. It's the record for the longest distance by a
hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle without refueling. Leave it to Toyota to go
straight for that open goal.
Toyota
is, of course, still pushing their hydrogen initiative, and they're still very
vocal about it. Obviously, the car they chose for this record attempt is none
other than the recently redesigned Mirai. It was driven Wayne Gerdes with Bob
Winger as his co-pilot
If
those names sound familiar, the duo are known for setting fuel efficiency
records in the U.S. The last time the two got together, they got the record
for, in words of Guinness World Records, the lowest fuel consumption - 48 U.S.
contiguous States for a non-hybrid car.
Gerdes
and Winger are also one of the top hypermilers in the U.S. However, they didn't
make this attempt easy just by driving on freeways and interstates in the wee
hours of the morning. The pair drove through morning and afternoon rush hour
traffic around San Diego. They also drove up and down the Pacific Coast Highway
for good measure.
After
two days of careful and calculated driving, Gerdes and Winger managed to eke
out 845 miles out of the Mirai. This was confirmed by the Guinness World
Records. The total consumption was 5.65 kilograms of
hydrogen and 152 MPGe. That's double the EPA claim of up to 76 MPGe for the XLE
version. Will it be enough for people to go towards hydrogen power instead of
electric? That's still uncertain. At least range anxiety is less of a worry
given its potential.
