The Grand Tour

James May Has Bought Another New Car, And It’s A Shock

Last week, The Grand Tour presenter James May posted a video of his new Tesla Model S 100D to his YouTube channel. Now, he’s revealing his new whip, and it had us by surprise.

With his Tesla Model S out in the open alongside his reasons for buying one, we knew there would be another surprise within the coming weeks. He hinted at another purchase, and today he’s finally let us in on the secret. Underneath the Porsche car cover is a Toyota Mirai.

It’s a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, and while it still runs off motors, this is a very different EV to the Tesla. Instead of the battery that powers the Model S that you need to charge at a supercharger or outlet, the Mirai has a hydrogen fuel cell. Like a petrol car, you need to fill a tank with pressurised hydrogen. This hydrogen is combined with oxygen in the air to produce electricity, with the only bi-product being water.

As James explains in his video, you wouldn’t know the difference when driving the two vehicles – the propulsion system is basically identical.

Why Did He Buy A Model S And A Mirai?

As he explains in the video, he has bought these two cars to act as a catalyst for debate. Not just with you, the fans, but with himself.

Hydrogen, for example, has to be extracted. This takes a lot of energy, making the resulting efficiency of the car almost pointless. It also hasn’t got the infrastructure unlike the Tesla, although it only takes a few minutes to fill, just like a normal ICE car.

For James, this is what makes driving the car exciting. He also believes that the use of hydrogen won’t stop at cars, it can be used to reduce emissions around the world thanks to its adaptability. It can heat homes in the place of gas, power cars and trains, and even airplanes.

More on the Mirai

Inside, it largely resembles a Prius, with a similar gear changer and screen setup. It is however adapted to showing information regarding its hydrogen fuel cell. It has a good ride, and looks like the majority of other cars on the road. That’s exactly why James likes it. It’s just a car, and that suits him just fine.

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]

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