The Government of Chile and Toyota have presented the first hydrogen-powered car approved for circulation in the country, with the aim of promoting vehicles that use clean energy in the market.
The launch of the first hydrogen-powered car authorized to circulate in Chile has taken place. It is an important milestone on the country’s path towards carbon neutrality. The Government presented the vehicle alongside executives from Toyota. It is the first of its type to be approved in South America.
The car has a range of 650 km according to the catalog. It houses a hydrogen cell with a useful life of more than 10 years, which reaches full charge in approximately 15 minutes.
The initiative is part of a government program that aims for the country to be carbon neutral by 2050. It should be mentioned that 25% of carbon emissions come from the transport system.
The company brought three of its Mirai model vehicles to Chile at the end of October 2022 to start the approval process. They entered the Vehicle Control and Certification Center (3CV) during the last week of November, prior to the exchange of technical information between Toyota and the Chilean evaluation body.
The model obtained official approval following the inspection process, making it the first in South America with authorization to circulate in the country.
Although the Toyota Mirai is not yet for sale in Chile, it can be purchased in other countries such as the United States, Norway, Spain and Germany, where it is valued at around US$64,000.
Foreign investment has been key to the development of renewables, such as wind and solar parks, in the country. To find out more about green hydrogen in Chile, check out the following article.
Source: Radio Bio-Bio