To be considered for nomination, a vehicle had to be all-new or substantially revised, in production and introduced for sale or lease to the public in quantities of at least 10 in at least one major market during the period beginning 1 January 2015 and ending 31 May 2016.
The Mirai was selected from a shortlist of three vehicles, including the new Toyota Prius. The winner was decided by a jury of 73 automotive journalists from 23 countries worldwide. Contenders were awarded points based on tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine componentry), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle's environmental responsibility.
The Mirai has no internal combustion and emits nothing other than water vapour. It is a four-door, mid-size sedan with performance that fully competes with traditional internal combustion engines though it uses no petrol or diesel. The fuel cell electric vehicle is powered by hydrogen, re-fuels in about five minutes, and travels up to 400km on a full tank.
