Toyota Mirai Dealers to Delay Deliveries Due to Lack of Refueling Infrastructure
The 2016 Toyota Mirai
When Toyota released its first-ever hydrogen-powered car last year, only eight dealerships in the entire country were chosen to sell the vehicle. All of these dealerships were located in California—four in the south and four in the north—and were chosen because of their close proximity to refueling stations that were either already open or close to opening. But it turns out that getting these stations up and running is taking longer than Toyota anticipated.
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As a result, the automaker has asked some of the eight dealerships to stop deliveries of the Mirai until the hydrogen refueling infrastructure is more established. Toyota was quick to point out that this doesn’t constitute a stop-sale order—merely a delay due to the newness of the technology and the lack of stations.
Originally, Toyota expected there to be 48 refueling stations in the Golden State by the end of 2015. In reality, there were only a handful—but there are many more in various stages of construction. California has allocated $200 million in order to fund the expansion of the hydrogen refueling network through the end of this decade.
Toyota will cover the cost of fuel for Mirai owners for the first three years, or up to $15,000. The automaker delivered 34 Mirais in October, 23 in November, and 15 in December. Once the network is more established, the automaker plans to sell 1,000 units by the end of the 2016 model year, and 3,000 by the end of 2017.
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News Source: Green Car Reports
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