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Toyota Loaned a Hydrogen Mirai to Derby City Council

Derby City Council continues to take steps towards a greener future, partnering with Toyota UK to secure a cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell vehicle as the official car for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

The new Mirai promises cleaner journeys for civic duties and underlines the Council’s commitment to sustainable transportation. Toyota have supplied the car on a loan to Derby City Council for the Mayor to perform Civic Duties using the latest sustainable technology. Both the car and associated refuelling will come at no cost to the Council.

Toyota has been developing and trialling hydrogen fuel cell technology in a range of vehicles, including the prototype Hilux fuel cell pick-up truck designed and built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) in Burnaston.

In 2024 Derby City Council launched its new Climate Change Action Planaddressing what the organisation needs to do to reduce its emissions. Fuelled by hydrogen – extracted from water using zero carbon renewable energy produced at TMUK – the Mirai emits no carbon dioxide or harmful tailpipe emissions when in use. It is estimated that it will save 1 tonne* of CO2 emissions over the trial and with zero nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide it will be supporting the city’s shift to zero and low emissions vehicles in their fleet.

Cllr Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability, praised the move. She said:

Our Climate Change Action Plan is all about how we can make changes to build a greener city and encourage partners and residents to do so as well. It’s only right that we lead by example, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work with Toyota to provide this brand new, zero emissions civic car at no cost to the Council.

Our links with hydrogen go back centuries, with Henry Cavendish, who discovered the element, being buried in Derby Cathedral. Now, more than two and half centuries since that discovery, the use of this hydrogen powered car is another reminder of our place as a leader for sustainable fuel technologies.

Darius Mikolajczak, Managing Director, Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, said:

It is an honour for Toyota to support Derby City Council’s civic activities with the provision of a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle. We believe hydrogen plays a crucial role in decarbonizing transport and is a key part of Toyota’s multipath approach to mobility. The Toyota Mirai, with its zero-carbon dioxide and no harmful tailpipe emissions, represents our commitment to sustainable technology and innovation. We are excited to see the positive impact this vehicle may have on inspiring the city’s journey towards a more sustainable future.

Derby and Toyota City in Japan are twinned through a civic partnership that began when the factory in Burnaston was built 30 years ago, and this activity along with the collaboration agreement signed in 2021 to support Derby’s sustainable energy and mobility transition continues to support this relationship. The 2-year loan will allow the Mayor and others to experience the technology first hand as the region develops its own hydrogen energy strategy.

*Based on the UK average passenger car CO2 emissions per km ( UK average CO2 Statista 2024 petrol cars : 164.5 CO2 km)

Photo of Derby City Council: L-R: Cllr Ajit Atwal (Deputy Mayor of Derby), Cllr Carmel Swan, Cllr Ged Potter (Mayor of Derby) and Darius Mikolajczak (Toyota) with the new Mirai.

Press release https://tinyurl.com/3yknc9fy

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