Toyota Mirai Sets World Record Traveling 845 Miles Without Refueling

Often news that a car manufacturer has set a world record brings to mind the top speed record or the fastest lap time, but Toyota has set the world record for the longest distance driven by a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle without being refueled.

The two-day odyssey resulting in the redesigned 2021 Toyota Mirai setting the record for covering 1,359.9 km (845 miles) was undertaken by Wayner Gerdes, a professional hypermiler, and his co-pilot Bob Winger.

The drive began at the Toyota Technical Center in Gardena, California on 23 August, and the duo covered 761.2 km (473 miles) with two driver swaps. The pair covered 598.6 km (372 miles) on the second day, bypassing San Diego’s daytime rush hours traffic.

Guinness adjudicator Michael Empiric confirmed the 845-mile drive as Gerdes and Winger returned to Gardena.

Toyota stated that the Mirai had consumed 5.56 kg of hydrogen for the record-setting drive, which is 152 Miles Per Gallon equivalent (MPGe). This is double the 76 MPGe for the Mirai XLE version as claimed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles have received less attention than fully electric vehicles in previous years but this new record and the impressive mileage numbers will surely direct attention to hydrogen vehicles in general and the Mirai in particular.