Madrid will have for the first time a hydrogen fuel cell-powered cab. The chosen one is the Toyota Mirai, which already has the authorization of the City Council of the capital to provide service.
With this decision, Madrid opens its cabs to a third way of sustainability after the hybrid propulsion (embodied in the Toyota Prius and Corolla) and electric (from the hand of the Nissan Leaf).
The technical sheet issued by the Government Area of Environment and Mobility includes the characteristics to be met by the Mirai acquired for this task, such as the shade of white to be used or the placement of the license numbers.
But the highlight is that the Mirai has been homologated as a five-seater vehicle, despite the fact that the central rear seat is too small for adult passengers. Not surprisingly, just under this seat is one of the hydrogen tanks, which conditions the habitability at that point.
The homologation of the Mirai represents another step in the agenda of the Madrid City Council to decarbonize public transport. Since 2018, all vehicles providing cab services must have the ‘ECO’ or ‘0’ label from the DGT.
Likewise, as of December 31, 2022, cabs older than ten years will no longer be allowed to continue working. With this last measure, the Madrid City Council expects to achieve the disappearance of most traditional cabs with diesel engines.
From the cab driver’s point of view, the Toyota Mirai promises to be a winning bet, albeit in the long term. Its range of 650 km is far superior to that of most electric vehicles, and even greater than that of some combustion models.
But the problem comes when it comes to refueling. Currently, in all of Madrid there is only one hydrogen pump for automotive use. It is located on Avenida de Manoteras (in the Sanchinarro area) and is not open to the public, which makes it necessary to request authorization to access it.
Be that as it may, the road is already open. With the entry of the Mirai in its fleet, Madrid joins other European capitals such as Paris or Copenhagen in the commitment to hydrogen cabs. Cities where the Japanese sedan is already beginning to be seen in traffic.
