Sarawak Premier Abang Jo Now Drives Hydrogen-Powered Toyota Mirai

Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg will reap the benefits of the state's efforts toward a hydrogen-powered future in his new Toyota Mirai. The hydrogen-powered sedan was presented to him by official distributor UMW Toyota Motor, which also delivered four more units to SEDC Energy, the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation's hydrogen-producing subsidiary (SEDC). UMW Toyota Motor said in a statement that the move is another step toward the larger Toyota organization's goal of delivering "Mobility for All" as part of its commitment to becoming carbon neutral globally by 2050. It also expressed gratitude to SEDC Energy for pursuing the state government's goal of becoming a leader in green energy in Malaysia.

Abang Jo's black Mirai is a second-generation model built on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) GA-L platform, which also underpins the latest Lexus LS luxury sedan and LC coupé. It uses an electric motor for propulsion, similar to a battery-powered EV (a rear-mounted unit with 180hp and 300Nm of torque), but it's powered by a fuel cell that converts hydrogen into electricity.  Three hydrogen tanks provide a range of 850km. Because of its abundant hydropower resources, Sarawak is an excellent candidate for hydrogen production. The state's three dams have an installed capacity of 3,492MW, accounting for 61% of the state's total electricity capacity.

Hydrogen is already produced by Sarawak Energy at its integrated hydrogen production plant and fuel station in Kuching, which is said to be the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, and by SEDC Energy at its Petros multi-fuel station. Sarawak intends to export up to 10,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year by 2025.