It was all a bunch of posturing, but what it really meant was that for the first time, consumers had options if they wanted to purchase a hydrogen vehicle. The Clarity lasted until 2021 before it was phased out, but today you can still purchase a Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo new, if you live in California.
The more modern of the two is the Toyota Mirai thanks to a substantial redesign for the 2022 model year. Apart from the updated looks power is solid with 182 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque sent to the rear wheels courtesy via an electric motor. The range is phenomenal, rated at 402 miles on the top-spec model. It’s also packed with loads of luxury and technology, making it worthy of the $50,000 starting price.
The Nexo was introduced in 2019, but it benefits from greater practicality given its crossover body. It offers 161 hp and 291 lb-ft of torque and it has a maximum range of 380 miles. The interior is a comfortable place to spend some time too, but with a $60,000 starting price, we can’t say we’d pick this over a comparably equipped Mirai.
The benefit of the two vehicles is that they both come with a $15,000 fuel allowance that lasts three years after the purchase date. This brings the price of each down significantly, but we’d be downright impressed if anyone could spend close to that limit given the vehicles’ frugal nature, not to mention the lack of filling stations making the prospect of long-distance driving much more difficult.
