The Toyota Mirai (FCV) Thread

can you tell me where in the world hydrogen stations are that there isn't good cell coverage? I thought they were being placed in rich neighborhoods and heavily trafficed highways where cell coverage is strong.

If they only are selling handfuls in germany, japan, and california, where in the world do you think they will travel without cell towers?

 

This satellite antenna would be better used on a Land Cruiser roaming the savannah of Africa.

 

one truly strikes bottom of desperately digging in heels - to defend a catastrophe - when Bob Lutz is dragged out to defend a loosing cause ;

[QUOTE ]"... GM’s vice chairman of global product development annihilated whatever remained of GM’s brand-related equity. Bob Lutz ran General Motors into the ground.

Lutz’ career at GM proves the old adage that if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Oh hell, Lutz was the problem. ... [/QUOTE] .
Editorial: General Motors Death Watch 230: How Bob Lutz Destroyed GM
This isn't a total dis on the travesty that pushing hydrogen cars as tho you'd be stupid not to have one - it's just a reminder Lutz is iconic with the "too big to fail" US automotive industry mentality. Even during this most recent dip in gas prices - he's stupidly saying there's no point in EV's because gas is cheep again.
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but guys, it uses satellites! omg.

 

Which will cost more than using the available cell infrastructure. That must mean something, but it escapes me.

 

It will be great for traveling in afghanistan and we can build hydrogen pumps there, you know to really help the local people.

Or in California, Japan, Germany you can spend more for satellite than cell and get bigger time delays.

We know what this is - future - as imagined in 2000 before we built a lot of the digital cell infrastructure. In 2016 it just seems like, what, you have added an 8 track tape to the car and think that will help it sell? No one really cares about 8 track tapes or satelite communication in the target demographic and geographic.

Could this tech be used in drones in afghanistan and yemen. Sure. But its not toyota's tech, they are licensing it, and I don't really want to sell it to talliban or isis. The US and its allies already have the tech for, ahem, targetted assasination.

 

If Toyota wants to throw good money after bad, who are we to question it?

 

Maybe they think it's cheaper to use one satelite supplier than the hundreds of gsm network providers around the world or the additional expense of various roaming agreements? Also, some areas use different frequencies for 3g/4g adding additional complication?

Also, don't Japan use a strange mobile network system that isn't used anywhere else? or has that changed lately?

4g and wifi would seem logical to me. But hey, we're talking about the Mirai.

 

GM in the US uses AT&T 4G. IIRC verizon has better coverage, but you only have to deal with one company. Its fairly nice, as everyone in the car can connect to a better antena. My passengers just use there own phones or mine turned into a mobil hotspot. Onstar plus mobil hotspot are $15/mo, customers without onstar -at&t customers can add the car to their plan for $10/month, or can pay $10/mo for it without onstar.

I can't imagine if you are downloading data it won't cost you a lot more with satelite. Irridium is about $46/month for 10 minutes of talk and 10 text messages, plus more charges for more minutes or data.

 

The promise of satelite seemed to be that it would reach places that you would not with cellular or wifi. I know I have been places without wifi and used my phone as a hot spot, and been without cellular and used wifi to make calls Adding satelite to these 2 really gives great coverage everywhere

The problem with the satelite phones was always the price of the bandwidth. GM cars allow the car to be a at&t hotspot for $5/month with onstar, or $10/month from at&t without but the at&t uses your data plan so you may have to buy more. These are cheap compared to any current satellite prices.

Kymeta's Toyota Mirai plays well with satellites

Which makes it a strange fit for the mirai, as those broad coverage areas don't make much sense with limited distribution in heavily covered areas of cell towers. But cool they can push the disaster knocked out the radio and cell towers. That is a selling point after the tsunami did just that. Some rich people may pay for sure.

Toyota wows with concept promising faster data - Story | WJBK

Man I don't have kids but why can't they just play the canned games, why do they need to be on-line while the parents are driving. Really I can see texting, but gaming, come on. That flash flood, well I get alerts on my phone, and my hd radio nav head unit gets traffic (not toyota/ pioneer but toyota can drop that tech and maybe google maps traffic from a cell phone), its probably a lot easier to do. How much do you want me to pay for that? Apple play or google play can pop up prices on your map, or toyota can roll there own, but its not that hard.

I think without a price its hard to belive this is a solution for tokyo or LA or munich, where toyota wants to sell the mirai. Sure satelite might be nice in remote areas, and this tech could lower the cost.

As for weather maps, that data is probably cheap to pick up, but satelite internet on the playstation network for gaming is probably very expensive. Maybe toyota with hook up with spacex and sony to make it cheaper.

 

Hilarious, satellite data is for faster data transfer? Ever look at how much stationary satellite internet costs for your phone? And the kind of bandwidth/speeds you get? And that doesn't need to track the satellite or worry about line of sight of the sky.

And this will make cars cheaper. Lol.

 

Couldn't find actual interior dimensions on Toyota's site for the Mirai, but the EPA is calling it a subcompact car.

Compare Fuel Cell Vehicles

 

$60k for a subcompact all so we can use some obscure gaseous expensive fuel, ouch.

 

It's all good. The Mirai will fade into obscurity starting Mar 31, 2016.

Elon Musk: Global Model 3 Reservations ($1,000 Down) Accepted On March 31

 

How Toyota Boshoku designed the Miria fuel cell stack. Special feature 1 Pg12
They also did the interior design of the car. (I'm having posting issues)
Toyota Boshoku Library | About Us | Toyota Boshoku Corporation
Toyota Boshoku Report 2015(PDF:8,018KB)

 

Yeah but we've all seen that from Tesla before. They start taking deposits early but cars get delivered literally years later and it's been reported that paying a deposit does mean you're first in line.

The '3' could have potential, but the X is a big disappointment styling wise;

Model X in the metal, not as impressive as in the photos/videos | Speak EV - Electric Car Forums




The 'X' looks great in publicity shots, but that white car above just looks nasty. A disappointment to the writer of the above link (whose pic it is) and also a disappointment to me. The 'S' looks classy, the X looks cheap, rushed and ill thought out.

Also, the model 3 is not going to be available to me in the UK and Europe until mid 2019 by which time it will be an irrelevance. One of the mainstream manufacturers are going to pip them to the post for a mass market 200 mile range EV. Tesla will remain a maker of high end EVs, but unlikely to ever get into mass market.

 

And in spite of that they continue to be supply constrained and grow their sales every year. But sure, they'll never become mass market.
lol

Edit: just read the post. Wow, what a disaster, the "disappointed" driver will be getting an S instead. Really sounds like Tesla is failing!

I do think the lack of a grill in the front in white looks a bit weird. In other colors it's better. Either way this car will sell extremely well given that for anyone who wants an SUV/CUV/minivan, fuel-efficient options are few and far between. If you need something with more than 5 seats your choices narrow even further.

 

I've seen a lot worse. This beauty thing is always going to come down to the eye of the beholder ultimately, but the Bolt is a damn sight uglier than the X with its squished subcompact appearance (maybe I'm just tired of that look after having the C for the last 4 years). Good riddance to unnecessary utilitarian designs from the ICE era (grills). It has to help with aerodynamics as well.

I also concur the front end doesn't look as awkward in other (darker?) colors:

Finally, they have every intention of competing in the mass market unless those published sales forecasts are nothing more than wishful thinking. That is the primary reason justification for building out the gigafactory in Reno.