Toyota Mirai Sets Guinness World Record with 845-Mile Zero Emission Trip
The 2021 Toyota Mirai has officially set the Guinness World Records title for the longest distance by a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle without refueling, the automaker announced. The Mirai achieved an 845 miles driven on a single, five-minute complete fill of hydrogen during a roundtrip tour of Southern California as it set the record.
“In 2016, the Toyota Mirai was the first production fuel cell electric vehicle available for retail sale in North America, and now the next generation Mirai is setting distance records,” said Bob Carter, executive vice president, Toyota Motor North America. “We are proud to be leaders of this exciting technology, which is just one of a growing lineup of zero emission vehicles in our portfolio.”
The official record attempt was monitored by Guinness World Records, adhering to its rules and documentation procedures. On its efficiency-focused Aug. 23 and 24 journey, the Mirai logged 152 MPGe with water as its only emission. Guinness World Records adjudicator, Michael Empric, validated the Mirai’s tank with a seal at both the beginning and end of the journey.
Driven by professional hypermiler, Wayne Gerdes and co-piloted by Bob Winger, the two-day trip began on Aug. 23, 2021, at the Toyota Technical Center (TTC) in Gardena, California, home of Toyota’s fuel cell development group. The duo traveled south to San Ysidro and then north to Santa Barbara cruising through Santa Monica and Malibu beach along the Pacific Coast Highway. They returned to TTC that evening and logged 473 miles with only two driver swaps that day.
The next day consisted of more local driving loops, where they pushed through 372 more miles of morning and afternoon rush hour traffic on the San Diego freeway between Los Angeles and Orange County until the Mirai had no more hydrogen left and coasted into TTC with a grand total of 845 miles driven, as witnessed by Empric.
