Toyota Mirai was declared the 2016 World Green Car recently at the New York International Auto Show. In order to win the award, tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine components), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle's environmental responsibility, were all taken into consideration. The Mirai was chosen from an initial entry list of eight new vehicles from all over the world. "Just as Prius changed the world nearly 20 years ago, the hydrogen-powered Mirai is ready to make history," said Hassan Jameel, Vice Chairman for Domestic Automotive, Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ). "With a range of over 500 km per tank, a refueling time of under five minutes and emissions that consist only of water vapor, Mirai is leading the world forward towards a more sustainable future." Takayuki Yoshitsugu, Chief Representative, Middle East and North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, said "as recognized pioneers in hybrid technology, we are truly honored to have received such an award. With the Mirai, Toyota is taking the opportunity to really make a difference for future generations through the adoption of hydrogen fuel-cell technology in order to reduce harm to the environment. We sincerely appreciate the support of our customers who have endorsed the Mirai and Toyota's future direction in terms of environmentally-friendly vehicles including our approach with the latest Prius model." Toyota is no stranger to the World Car Awards program – now in its 12th year. The Toyota Prius 2010 has previously earned ‘Top Three in the World' status for both the World Green Car and the overall World Car of the Year categories. In addition, the Toyota 86 was a ‘Top Three in the World' finalist for World Car of the Year in 2013; the Toyota iQ in 2009 for the same category; and the Toyota Harrier Hybrid in 2006 for World Green Car. Vehicles in all award categories were selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 73 top-level automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world. Sharing a history of more than 60 years, the legendary relationship between Toyota Motor Company and Abdul Latif Jameel Company has grown into the leading automotive dealership in the Kingdom and the biggest Toyota independent distributor in the world.
