Mayor of Derby goes green with an official hydrogen car from Toyota
The Mayor of Derby has just bagged a new set of wheels, and it’s running on hydrogen. Toyota has loaned a second-generation Mirai to Derby City Council for official duties, making it the first hydrogen mayoral car in the city’s history. A difficult record to beat.
It’s a neat bit of symbolism, too – Derby is twinned with Toyota City in Japan and is also home to Toyota Manufacturing UK (TMUK) in Burnaston, where the Japanese firm has been developing the hydrogen-powered Hilux pickup prototypes.
Hydrogen on Civic Duty
The zero-emission Mirai will be used by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for civic engagements over a two-year period, with both the car and its hydrogen refuelling costs covered by Toyota.
Derby City Council says the move aligns with the city’s Climate Change Action Plan, launched in 2024, which aims to cut municipal emissions and transition the city’s fleet to low and zero-emission vehicles.
Toyota’s hydrogen tech has been making waves in Derbyshire beyond just passenger cars, with TMUK’s Burnaston plant being at the heart of Toyota’s hydrogen efforts, most notably producing the Hilux fuel cell prototypes – a project highlighting hydrogen’s viability in commercial and off-road vehicles.
The Mirai’s arrival further cements the region’s role as a testbed for hydrogen innovation.
Green credentials with local roots
The fuel for the mayoral Mirai comes with a local connection: it’s produced from water via electrolysis using renewable energy at TMUK, ensuring the car is powered with zero-carbon, green hydrogen.
Over the trial period, the vehicle is expected to save tonnes of CO2 emissions compared to a conventional petrol-powered alternative.
More importantly, it emits no nitrogen oxides or sulphur dioxide, like a traditional car, meaning it contributes to cleaner air in Derby.
Cllr Carmel Swan, Derby’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability, highlighted the car’s role in leading by example, saying:
“Our Climate Change Action Plan is about making real changes to build a greener city. It’s only right that we lead by example, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work with Toyota to provide this brand-new, zero-emissions civic car at no cost to the Council.”
The hydrogen connection goes back even further than Toyota’s presence in Derby. The element itself was first identified by Henry Cavendish, who happens to be buried in Derby Cathedral.
More than 250 years later, his discovery is powering a car carrying the city’s mayor. Poetic, really.
Toyota’s hydrogen push
For Toyota, this is another step in promoting its multi-pathway strategy, where hydrogen sits alongside battery-electric and hybrid vehicles.
Darius Mikolajczak, Managing Director of Toyota Manufacturing UK, sees the Mirai as more than just a mayoral runabout, saying:
“We believe hydrogen plays a crucial role in decarbonising transport and is a key part of Toyota’s multipath approach to mobility.
“The Toyota Mirai, with its zero-carbon dioxide and no harmful tailpipe emissions, represents our commitment to sustainable technology and innovation.”
With Derby and Toyota City’s three-decade relationship, this loan reinforces the shared focus on sustainable mobility.
It also gives local leaders a chance to experience hydrogen in the real world, which could influence wider adoption of the technology as Derby develops its own hydrogen strategy in the years to come.
