Toyota France sets hydrogen distance record, Hyundai Australia aims to take it back

Hyundai Australia has hinted it will attempt to regain its hydrogen vehicle distance record, which has just been broken by a Toyota Mirai in France.

The new record of 1003km set at the weekend comes less than a month after a Hyundai Australia team drove a Nexo FCEV 887.6km on a single tank from Melbourne to Silverton, near Broken Hill.

That drive beat the previous 778km record also set in by French aeronaut Bertrand Piccard, also at the wheel of a Nexo, on his journey across the country from Sarreguemines to Le Bourget.

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Hyundai Australia’s senior manager of future mobility, Scott Nargar, who was involved in breaking the previous record, congratulated Toyota on its achievement, adding that he looked forward to one day being involved in a new record attempt.

Nargar told WhichCar he welcomed the competition from Toyota and other hydrogen vehicle players as it drives development in new technologies and creates public awareness in hydrogen and other alternative fuel sources.

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The latest successfull record attempt saw the 2021 Toyota Mirai leave a hydrogen station in Orly, near Paris, before travelling 1003kms on public roads south of the French capital and in the Loir-et-Cher and Indre-et-Loire areas.

The four drivers who took part in the record-breaking journey used ‘eco-style’ driving styles which did not require any special techniques that couldn’t be performed by everyday motorists.

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Scott Nargar (left) congratulates driver Brendan Reeves who broke the previous record after driving from Melbourne to Silverton

The independently verified record saw an average fuel consumption of 0.55kg/100km, which is 0.15 less than the Mirai’s official combined economy if 0.7kg/100km - Mirai can store 5.6kg of hydrogen in its tanks and has an official range of 655km.

According to Toyota, the Mirai’s trip computer showed it still had 9.0km of range after completing the journey.

In celebration of the record, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated for the first time by green hydrogen.