Driving Beyond Norms: The Significance of the Mirai 1000 km Journey in France

In a groundbreaking collaboration, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) and Energy Observer, a French company specializing in renewable energy research, have successfully broken the world record for the longest distance driven on a single hydrogen refuel. The achievement was made with the Toyota Mirai, a fuel cell electric vehicle, in a 1,000+ km drive that took place in May 2021.

The record-breaking journey was initiated in 2019, when Cedric Borremans from TME and Victorien Erussard from Energy Observer agreed to surpass Hyundai's record. The team, consisting of Borremans, Erussard, James Olden, Maxime Le Hir, and Marie Gadd, was carefully selected based on their eco-driving scores. The team was balanced with a good age and gender mix, including both car specialists and non-specialists.

The goal of the project was to promote hydrogen as a future energy source and to illuminate the Eiffel Tower in Paris with electricity supplied by a stationary hydrogen generator using the Mirai's fuel cell technology. Borremans expressed his excitement about the record being broken in Japan and plans to involve more employees in future record attempts, focusing on continuous improvement (kaizen).

Marie Gadd (TFR), who led the Mirai challenge for Toyota, reported receiving positive responses on social media regarding the project, expressing hope for hydrogen and interest in the Mirai's performance. Victorien Erussard, from Energy Observer, hopes that this project conveys the message that effectively using renewable energy can act with greater respect for people and the planet, especially in regards to hydrogen as a zero-emissions energy source.

The previous world record for the longest distance driven on a single hydrogen refuel was first broken by a team in France, and later by the Toyota Mirai team. The Toyota Mirai's cruising range, according to European catalog listings, is around 650 km on a single hydrogen refuel, but the team exceeded this figure, setting a new world record.

Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota, expressed anticipation for the challenge to be taken up in various regions, including the U.S., China, Australia, and others. Borremans believes that extending the efforts of the project to other countries will create momentum toward a carbon-neutral world, with the collaborative project in France being a shining example of people working together toward this goal. Borremans mentioned the possibility of utilizing hydrogen boats, powered by Toyota Fuel Cell, on the River Seine in the leadup to Paris 2024.

The project, which aimed to promote hydrogen as a future energy source, was a collaboration between TME, Toyota France (TFR), and Energy Observer. Toyota and Energy Observer also teamed up in the field of renewable energy, with Toyota providing the onboard powertrain system for the Energy Observer vessel, which is based on Toyota's fuel cell technology.

The search results do not contain specific information about what the project meant for the European team members who participated in the Toyota Mirai record attempt. However, Borremans stated that the project showed a large company like Toyota has much to learn from startups, specifically Energy Observer.

Energy Observer has developed a ship named the "Energy Observer", a floating laboratory that can sustain itself using renewable energy such as hydrogen, solar, wind, hydropower, and sails. The project serves as a testament to the potential of hydrogen as a clean, sustainable energy source and the collaborative spirit that can drive innovation in this field.