Hobsons Bay City Council is participating in an Australian first with a 12-week trial of three Toyota hydrogen fuel cell powered Mirai cars. These cars emit only water vapour, not greenhouse gases, and don’t generate any engine noise. They are the first vehicles of their kind driven by the public in Australia.
Starting in November, Council staff will trial the Mirais as part of their operational fleet, using the vehicles at different times of the day, under different conditions. The cars will be refuelled at a mobile hydrogen refueler based at Toyota’s former manufacturing site in Altona, a 13-minute drive from the Hobsons Bay Civic Centre.
The trial will help the Council achieve its target of zero net greenhouse gas emissions from Council operations by 2020 – and show the community that the Council is serious about reducing emissions, as the cars will be getting about the streets of Hobsons Bay. The staff insights will be passed back to Toyota, so the company can learn more about the user experiences and performance of the cars.
