In 2019, James May bought two electric vehicles from opposite ends of the spectrum. The former Top Gear host purchased a blue Tesla Model S 100D. He also purchased a Toyota Mirai, a hydrogen fuel cell mid-size car.
We all know pretty well the specs of the Model S, but just for a quick recap, it has a 600km range, over 400hp, and 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds. In other words, fast.
Then there’s the Toyota Mirai, which you might not know much about. It has one electric motor, with just 152hp and half the torque of the Tesla Model S, but can go for around 500km on a ‘full tank’. May says the Mirai is a little bit quieter and the road than the Model S, and compares the ride to a Bentley Continental GT. It is also lighter than the Tesla, weighing in at 1,848kg, compared to 2,108kg for the Model S.
The biggest difference though is the Tesla is a battery electric vehicle (BEV), and the Mirai is a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (HFCEV). Your Tesla can be charged wherever there is an electrical outlet, or at any of the thousands of Supercharger stations around the world. Whereas you can only refuel the Mirai at a hydrogen fuel station, of which there are only a handful in Canada.
Check out the full video below to find out what May thinks of each, and which he thinks is the future.
Have you seen any Mirai out on the road where you live? Let us know in the comments below.
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