EVs aren’t the only alternative to a gasoline-powered vehicle. Hydrogen has been touted as a potential alternative for years and Toyota is one of the companies that actually has one available for sale. The Mirai is a four-seater sedan that starts at just under $52,000. It gets 402 miles of range, boasts an efficiency rating of 74 MPGe, and can “refuel” in around five minutes.
It’s also arguably the worst automotive purchase you can make in 2026. First, there’s the vehicle itself. Yes, the range is decent, and $52,000 isn’t particularly awful for what is essentially an EV with its biggest disadvantage removed. But the Mirai’s overall performance is pretty bad.
Despite producing 182 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque, and essentially running on an electric motor, the Mirai could be described as pretty sluggish. Going from 0-60 takes over nine seconds, which is very mediocre historically and downright terrible by modern standards. Even if you don’t think 0-60 times are that important.
Then there’s the lack of cargo space. You get 9.6 cubic feet in the trunk, and room for five passengers in the cab. Though one of the five will be crammed into the middle of the second row bench seat.
The vehicle also weighs over 4,250 pounds. Which is significant. Admittedly, it’s so slow you won’t be belting it around a track, but that weight is still going to make it feel a bit hefty and unwieldy even at lower speeds. But none of this touches on the Mirai’s biggest issue.
The U.S. isn’t ready for hydrogen vehicles, and the Toyota Mirai proves it
Toyota isn’t the only company looking into hydrogen vehicles. Hyundai, Honda, Volkswagen, and BMW have all poured substantial funding into the concept. And it makes sense on paper. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles use the universe’s most abundant element to generate electricity. You can refill a hydrogen tank in minutes, keeping your battery full as you continue your journey. It’s also emission-free, with the only byproduct of hydrogen combustion being water.
But while the tech looks promising, both the infrastructure and the fuel itself are major problems.
First, there’s refueling. If you don’t live in California, you’re going to have a bit of a problem. While the odd stray hydrogen refueling station does exist, the majority are in the Golden State. Then, if you do find somewhere to top up, there’s the cost of it all. At $32–$36 per kilogram, hydrogen costs roughly twice as much as gas. And that’s with gas prices through the roof.
Hydrogen is abundant. As mentioned, it’s the most common element in the universe. However, it’s also the lightest. So if left to its own devices, it will make its way to the top of the atmosphere and leak out into space.
This means the hydrogen we can actually get hold of is usually bound to other elements. You could get hydrogen gas from water, but this requires a lot of electricity. The majority of commercial hydrogen currently comes from methane gas, and is again split off using electrolysis and often shipped over large distances. So hydrogen vehicles aren’t even that green.
Toyota initially had a lot of hope for the Mirai, and was optimistically expecting up to 30,000 global sales per year at one point. However, the vehicle peaked at around 2,700 sales in 2023. Fewer than 500 were sold in 2024, and only 210 left the lot in 2025. Which means the Mirai may be Toyota’s biggest flop.
The Japanese manufacturer has dominated the hybrid market for decades and has seen a staggering amount of success with its recent EV pivot. But its foray into hydrogen may be a complete write-off.
