Toyota recalls thousands of hydrogen-powered vehicles

The giant automaker announced on Wednesday that the recall will affect 2,800 hydrogen-powered Mirai vehicles made between November 2014 and December 2016.

The carmaker had discovered a software glitch that could make the output voltage of the fuel-cell converter exceed the maximum under certain driving conditions and ultimately shut the systems down.

Mirai is Japanese for “future.” The hydrogen-powered car, one of the first such vehicles to be sold commercially, can go up to 300 miles on one charge. Its launch was seen as part of Toyota’s goal to replace traditional petrol-powered cars.

Al-Futtaim Motors, which distributes Toyota cars in UAE, confirmed the recall.

“In line with Toyota’s international protocol, Al-Futtaim Motors will be applying a software update to the three Mirai vehicles currently being tested on UAE roads as part of a pilot programme,” a spokesperson said in a statement sent to Gulf News.

The process can reportedly take only about an hour.

The Toyota distributor kicked off last year the pilot testing of the zero-emission hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai vehicles in UAE. The vehicle was also showcased at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week to promote fuel cell vehicle technology for  a greener environment.