Toyota Motor has said it was recalling all of the approximately 2,800 zero-emission Mirai cars on the road due to problems with the output voltage generated by their fuel cell system.
According to a Reuters report, the automaker said that, under unique driving conditions, such as if the accelerator pedal is depressed to the wide open throttle position after driving on a long descent while using cruise control, there was a possibility the output voltage generated by the fuel cell boost converter could exceed the maximum voltage.
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To date, it has sold about 2,840 Mirai cars in Japan, the United States and some markets in Europe (including UK), as well as the United Arab Emirates.
Toyota dealers will update the fuel cell system software at no cost to the customer in a process taking about half an hour, the automaker said.
A Toyota corporate communications spokesman told just-auto by email there isn’t a recall in the US; “rather, we’re doing a customer satisfaction campaign. We are following the applicable regulations and practices in each country/region. The condition and remedy in the US are the same as other countries. In the US, all owners will be notified by first class mail and asked to bring their vehicles to a dealer for the software update.”
Toyota first began selling the hydrogen-fueled Mirai in December 2014 in Japan, its home market, in a bid to lead the industry in the nascent technology. Toyota has promoted fuel cell vehicles as the most sensible next-generation option to hybrids, although a lack of hydrogen fuelling stations remains a major hurdle for mass consumption.
