During the "Green Hydrogen Challenge", Piotr Rudyszyn, an expert at Studium Wodoru, drove the Toyota Mirai fuel cell passenger car from Zakopane in southern Poland to Hel on the Baltic Sea. The vehicle completed the 800-kilometre route with a single refuelling of 5 kilograms of hydrogen. The standard range of the Toyota Mirai is approximately 500 kilometres.
Country Roads Instead of Motorways for Maximum Efficiency
To maximise range, Rudyszyn avoided motorways and expressways. Instead, he adopted a fuel-efficient driving style at speeds of around 80 to 90 km/h. The vehicle utilised regenerative braking and was operated in electric mode on certain sections. "The idea was to test how hydrogen performs under Polish climatic and topographical conditions. This was not an ordinary trip, but a planned test of technology, road conditions, and the driver's patience," says Julia Glapińska, CEO of Studium Wodoru, a Polish company specialising in hydrogen education and consulting.
The fuel filler cap was officially sealed before departure to rule out any refuelling. The journey started at 5 a.m. at an altitude of 1,050 metres above sea level. "At the start in Zakopane, we had low temperatures and snow, so we needed to preheat the car for longer. In the initial phase, we drove significantly slower than planned, and fuel consumption was much higher than expected," reports Rudyszyn.
160 Kilometres per Kilogram of Hydrogen
Based on the trip, consumption worked out at around 160 kilometres per kilogram of hydrogen. Along the route, the organisers analysed driving behaviour at several checkpoints – including Ogrodzieniec, Toruń and Gdańsk – in hilly terrain and urban traffic. According to Studium Wodoru, the data collected will be used for the further development of hydrogen transport in Poland.
World Record Attempt Planned
The vehicle was prepared by the Carolina Toyota Wola team from Warsaw in cooperation with Studium Wodoru. Other partners of the event included Carolina Fleet Mobility, Tipark, Global Hydrogen, and the Globenergia portal. Glapińska announced that the results would be evaluated and a world record attempt planned.
Studium Wodoru
