As if there was not already enough hype surrounding Toyota’s second generation Mirai, we have recently been hit with some more exciting news. This luxury rear-wheel drive (RWD), fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) will be making yet another inspiring advancement by way of the available Toyota Teammate™ technology for the 2022 model year. To shed more light on this fascinating development, we have put together a quick overview of both Toyota Teammate as well as all the other fantastic features of the 2022 Toyota Mirai.

Toyota Teammate: Driving Evolved

The advanced driving function of Toyota Teammate is a highly advanced driver’s aid which functions by detecting driving conditions while you are driving. In detecting these conditions, it is able to plan ahead and perform steering, acceleration, and braking, all the while being actively supervised by the driver. Toyota Teammate is also capable of keeping the vehicle in the correct lane, change lanes, follow vehicles, and overtake vehicles that are traveling at a slower speed.

The Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE) has classified Toyota Teammate’s Advanced Drive as a Level 2 system. This means that the driver will still be handling a large part of the driving tasks even while Advanced Drive is active. Advanced Drive will allow for a hands-free driving experience while on specific limited access highways and within certain conditions. Advanced Drive can be beneficial by reducing long-haul exhaustion and also allows the driver to pay more attention to their surroundings, increasing hazard awareness.

Another part of Toyota Teammate is Advanced Park. When active, Advanced Park will do all the functions necessary for hands-free parking while under the observation of the driver. It can control the acceleration, braking, steering, and gear changes needed when backing into a parking space or parallel parking. Working in tandem with the complete circumference cameras and ultrasonic sensors, this system has 360-degree sensing, and it also gives drivers a bird’s eye view display to let the driver check the vehicle's position for obstacles during the parking procedure.

The FCEV Experience

Toyota Teammate is just a small part of what the 2022 Mirai is capable of. As an FCEV, it creates its own electricity without having to be plugged in. It does so by combining hydrogen with oxygen taken from the air outside, and from this combination the only emission is water. When the accelerator is pressed, electric power flows immediately from the fuel cell and/or battery toward the AC synchronous electric motor which is mounted in the rear. The rear wheels then begin to move and as you drive around, the fuel cell will continue with its process. The water emission is dropped out of a vent pipe on the underside of the car.

The electricity created by the fuel cell, as well as that created by the regenerative braking system, is stored in a lithium-ion battery. The battery does not require charging; instead, the driver of the FCEV only needs to fill the tank with hydrogen. The fuel is non-toxic compressed hydrogen gas, and is both cleaner and safer than the gasoline or diesel alternatives.

The first generation Mirai (spanning from 2016-2020) was the first FCEV to be offered for retail sale in North America. The second generation Mirai is a total reboot and in addition to its striking design and incredibly low emissions, it also has an EPA-estimated range of 402 miles, which is a marked improvement over that of the previous generation, which had an EPA rating of 312 miles.

All 2022 Toyota Mirai purchases or leases will include up to $15,000 of complementary hydrogen fuel.

A Cleaner, Safer Driving Future

The 2022 Toyota Mirai is yet another marvel of innovation from Toyota. From the absence of harmful emissions to its impressive EPA-estimated range and the available option for Toyota Teamwork, the Mirai is truly one of a kind. If you find your interest piqued, please do not hesitate to contact us here at Westbury Toyota for more information!