The Toyota Mirai returns for its second year, as 2017 prices are announced. The zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, which emits only water vapor, struggled in its first year, with sales in the U.S. lower than expected. The 2017 Mirai retains its $57,500 MSRP plus an $865 destination fee, though customers can qualify for an $8,000 federal tax credit and $5,000 California rebate. In addition, Mirai drivers can get access to the Golden State’s HOV lane.
With an EPA estimated driving range of 312 miles and a refueling time of five minutes, the Mirai is coming closer to what we expect in a traditional car.
In a press release, Toyota announced its Mirai trailblazer support program, which “enhances the purchase and ownership experience. Choices include: a $349 per month lease for 36 months, with $2,499 due at signing and an annual 12,000 mile allowance; zero percent APR for 60 months or 1.9 percent for 72 months; or $7,500 “purchase support,” which goes towards the vehicle price.
Services haven’t changed for the new model year — buyers still get three years’ worth of complimentary fuel, three years of complimentary Safety Connect and Entune, which includes a hydrogen station finder app, and three years of 24/7 customer call support. There is no cost for scheduled maintenance for three years or 35,000 miles (whichever comes first), free roadside assistance, and an 8-year/100,000 mile warranty on “key fuel cell vehicle components,” which include the fuel cell stack and power control unit, hydrogen tanks, hybrid battery pack, and numerous ECUs.
The 2017 Mirai adds a color option, Atmospheric Blue, to the existing Celestial Black, Elemental Silver and Nautical Blue Mirai color choices.
The Mirai continues to be offered solely in California, through eight authorized dealers. California customers can request a Mirai by visiting Toyota’s Mirai site. Production is limited, and only “select, eligible customers” will be able to get one.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.