Toyota's Mirai Fueled by ... ahem ... Bullsh*t
Posted by:
Mark Bilek
Though you can't yet buy the hybrogen-powered Mirai sedan in Illinois, Toyota is starting a national marketing campaign for the vehicle and the first volley is likely to surprise you. Some of the hydrogen used to power the vehicle will be made from, in Midwestern terms, cow pies.
Toyota has tapped award-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock to show how calling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles "bullsh*t" isn't far from the truth. "Fueled by Bullsh*t" is the first online video in a multi-part "Fueled by Everything" series aimed to educate a broad audience about the innovative ways hydrogen fuel can be made from renewable sources. Spurlock directed the 3-minute piece which features a dairy farmer and mechanical engineer as they follow cow manure from a mooing supply source to its ultimate use in powering the hydrogen fuel cell electric Toyota Mirai.
"This project gave us the opportunity to dive into a world that most people don't understand but has the potential to change our world," said Spurlock. "Witnessing manure, something most of us view as being pretty disposable, being transformed into hydrogen fuel to power a car was pretty remarkable. I think this short film is pretty compelling evidence of what could be possible in the years ahead."
The multi-series video campaign is launching through the Toyota Mirai website (www.toyota.com/mirai) and additional digital properties with paid online media support. The Toyota Mirai site will also feature a deeper dive into the scientific process of creating hydrogen fuel, with explanations from scientists and experts in the field. This content will also appear across Toyota social and media partner sites, including Forbes.com, YouTube and Hulu.
"We're putting hydrogen in the spotlight for its exciting potential as a renewable fuel source," said Bob Carter, senior vice president, automotive operations, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "This is the beginning of the road for hydrogen, but we see the potential and we're making a long-term investment in the future."
The four-door, mid-sized Toyota Mirai delivers performance similar to traditional internal combustion engines - re-fueling in about five minutes and a range of up to 300 miles on a full tank. The Mirai will go on sale in California later this year. For more information about Toyota's commitment to fuel cell technology, visit www.toyota.com/mirai/fueledbyeverything.html.
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