In Japanese, Mirai means “the future.”
And, in California, it means the long-anticipated arrival of a mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that will roll into eight Toyota dealerships this fall, including one in the Sacramento area.
Roseville Toyota will be among a select group of California auto dealerships to receive the automaker’s groundbreaking vehicle, touted for its zero carbon emissions. The vehicle, using a mix of hydrogen and oxygen, emits only water vapor, according to Toyota.
The Roseville dealership, part of longtime local dealer John L. Sullivan’s automotive group, will take delivery of the Toyota Mirai in October, officials of Torrance-based Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. said Wednesday.
“It’s definitely the way the technology is taking us,” said David Rodgers, senior vice president and general manager of Roseville Toyota.
“(Toyota) is telling us this is the new Prius,” one of California’s top-selling cars in recent years. “We think they have a winner on their hands. It will take a little while to get the word out and get the infrastructure in place, but we’re very excited.”
California is the first state to get the Mirai, Toyota said, partly because the state already has hydrogen fuel stations in place or in development. A rollout in some Northeast states is planned for 2016.
