Sharjah Municipality and Emirates Transport test electric hydrogen-running Toyota Mirai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, August 16, 2017:  In its continuous effort to support the UAE Vision 2021’s environmental objectives, Al-Futtaim Motors, leader in sustainable mobility and exclusive distributor of Toyota in the UAE, introduced the zero-emission hydrogen-running Toyota Mirai to Sharjah Municipality and Emirates Transport, as part of its Government outreach program, aiming at building awareness about the benefits fuel cell technology and the positive environmental potentials of a hydrogen-based society.

The four-door Toyota Mirai is the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, that generates electricity through an onboard Fuel Cell stack, using oxygen from the air with hydrogen stored in the tank to power the car rather than using a battery. The Toyota Mirai which releases water instead of CO2 as byproduct is the only zero emissions vehicle on the market that is capable of exceeding 500 km on a full tank with performance that competes with traditional internal combustion engines. 

Both Sharjah Municipality and Emirates Transport delegations test-drove the car and were impressed by the vehicle’s performance and environmental credentials, especially when experiencing the clear drinking water that came out of the vehicle, at the push of a button. 

“This marks yet another successful achievement in our efforts to raise awareness about poor air quality and our practical solutions to curb the issue. Our responsibility towards the environment is translated through a large-scale deployment of hybrid cars and the introduction of the zero-emission hydrogen technology,” said Bertrand Thiebaut, Senior Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Motors and Vice President of Al-Futtaim Automotive Group.

“The fuel cell technology is the cleanest and most practical sustainable mobility solution, as it requires no electrical charging, can run up to 500 kms on a full tank of hydrogen which can be filled in the car in less than 5 minutes, imposing absolutely no changes on the driver’s behavior” he continued.

Al-Futtaim Motors recently registered strong first-half hybrid sales results for Toyota and Lexus and currently offers a host of hybrid vehicles across Toyota, Lexus and most recently Hino.