2015 Toyota Mirai

Toyota has upgraded its plans for the hydrogen-powered Mirai.

The company was encouraged by orders for about 1,500 cars in just the first month of it being available in Japan. So production for 2015 is scheduled to be 700, rising to 2,000 in 2016 and 3,000 in 2017.

As part of an initial assessment for the UK, 11 cars will be delivered in 2015 to specified fleet customers. This should lead to around 50 UK imports in 2016. The UK price is expected to be about £60k although this will depend on any relevant government subsidies. In Europe the price will probably be around €66k plus local taxes.

The production Mirai seems very close to the concept vehicles, last seen at the 2013 motor show. Two high-pressure hydrogen tanks under the floor fuel the fuel cell. A permanent-magnet electric motor should have a range of 300 miles. The motor should produce around 135bhp via the front wheels, yet the only emission is water vapour. Refuelling only takes around three minutes.

Mirai means ‘future’ and it’s here. Toyota boss Akio Toyoda is upbeat about its capabilities. He said it was “a car that lets you have it all, with no compromises” and one that his company was “ready to deliver."

Moreover, the hydrogen can be made from anything, even garbage, according to Toyoda. He added: “It has a fuel cell that creates enough electricity to power a house for about a week.”

Specifications for Europe and the UK have not been confirmed but inside there should be sat-nav, climate control, a rear camera and man-made leather upholstery. The range of safety features is expected to include a full roster such as lane-departure warning, a pre-crash system, adaptive cruise control and lane-change assist.

When the original Toyota Prius came to the UK in 2000, Toyota took a long-term view for its launch and seems to be adopting a similar strategy for the Mirai. Paul Van der Burgh, President and Managing Director of Toyota GB, said: "We're on a learning curve. We do expect exponential growth to happen, but before that we need the right conditions. The infrastructure is not there at the moment, but if you wait for the infrastructure, you'll never learn anything.

"You need government and our infrastructure partners aligned with what we are trying to do. In Japan, for example, hydrogen has had huge support, and that has allowed the technology to accelerate."