Toyota Mirai: Holy grail or high-tech mirage? (On Cars, Episode 98)

We live with a hydrogen car in the real world, answer your emails about diesel hatred, and run down the top 5 cars for 2016.

[JenniferNg]

Finally an episode that talks about a fuel cell car! I've been writing so many emails asking for an episode.

[texasyank]

Best explanation of the technology I've seen.

[InternetDude]

I really dig your old woodgrain station wagon, Brian!!

[soiceyboy]

20 mins of Cnet on cars is better than 60 mins of the new top gear

[BFblog]

$58, 000??? For $6, 000 more you can get the base Model S.

[Malaki]

Hello CNET on Cars, I really enjoy all of your reviews on all your cars, latest automotive tech. I just wanted to say thank you for the videos.

[vinceunlimited]

In response to the email about the 'resume' speed on cruise control, I think that this rate may be affected by the way the car is driven. My 2000 Jaguar XJ4.0 had this 'learning effect' and would accelerate back to a set cruise speed at a rate depending on how I had been driving. If driven leisurely the rate of acceleration would be similar and if I had been driving more sportily the automated acceleration rate would increase accordingly. It appeared to be affected by overall driving style, not chopping and changing rates at each journey but affected over time. Also, as mentioned by others, it would alter the rate dependant on whether sport or comfort mode was selected. I wouldn't be surprised if modern cars had this same learning effect and this is maybe what the guy who sent the email is experiencing. Simple lesson, don't expect the car to drive like a banshee if you normally dawdle down the road.

[PoserGalore]

Can't wait to check out the clarity from Honda

[brandonfriesen]

I'm surprised Honda doesn't allow you to change the sensitivity of the collision warning. I work at BMW at have a 2017 Golf R and all Bimmers and my VW allows me to change the warning from early to late. And when on adaptive cruise, and I pull into the overtake lane to resume my cruise speed, my Golf R will actually take into what drive mode I'm in, to base how fast it accelerates up to speed. If I'm in comfort mode, it leisurely accelerates. But in normal or race, it takes off as fast it can. Surprised Japanese cars don't have the customization of the Euro cars.

[intellectracoon]

7:20 man are you serious charging a car from a bloody solar panel ??!
if i had a phantom cigar maybe.

[trinisuprazee]

Big fan watched you from day one. Can you do a segment on buying used performance cars? what's a good value vs what's a likely depreciation (but worth it) vs what to absolutely avoid?

[FPVREVIEWS]

the energy density is impressive for hydrogen, but the overall complexity of the system makes it prohibitive.
it's easy to see the tech used on aircraft, and fleet vehicles, but not on passenger cars. it's far more likely that the full electric battery cars and plug-in hybrids will win out.

[smithraymond]

I personally know of one hydrogen filling station and that is in Torrance CA. In the 7 years that I've driven past it twice a day, 6 days a week, on the way to and from work, I've seen ONE car filling up. Not exactly mass market technology. ONCE in seven years.

[elizabethcherry]

aye I maybe coming back to San Francisco and I am a fan of your show, I was wondering if the public is allowed to come in your location and check out the old cars that is seen in the background of your show

[tjs]

I would take 1/2 of the stated range of the Toyota Mirai to just get to and from a filling station from where I live - and I'm less than 10 miles from Highway 99, a major North-South route in California.

[hgoodman]

I remember driving an old VW Jetta 2002. When you hit resume on that car, it would haul ass.

[YoussefCherqaoui]

How cool he is using a Nexus 6p :) Best Phone I ever owned.

[snarfeater]

"create hydrogen: YEAH WITH LOTS OF ELECTRICITY FROM BURNING COAL

[marco]

Who'd ever thought urinating cars was the wave of the future

[josephdagosto]

Great program, but Brian Cooley and Jason Pepper missed some key issues:

1. Oil dependency on middle east will now will be replaced by...
2. Lithium dependency in the future. The USA has very limited amount.
3. How much lithium is easily mined, versus how much hydrogen can we produce.
4. Hydrogen is a much more plentiful and efficient "battery" than lithium.

Our current electric grid, as Scotty Kilmer pointed out can't even keep up with our
current needs, hence the power failures at peak capacity. How are we going to charge all
these lithium electric cars? Yes that's right, by spending a fortune on upgrading our electric grid.

Tesla has already received almost 5 billion dollars in subsidies... not exactly cheap if
the consumer paid full freight for their car.

Yes, transporting hydrogen in trucks adds to the cost, but how do you think gasoline gets to the gas station!

Hydrogen is a concentrated form of energy that does not pollute in crowded cities where
it will be used. Yes it can blow up, but so can gasoline. It will allow us to use solar, wind, and any other form of energy to power our cars, and get us out of the middle east.

Follow the money, the answer is always clear.