LOS ANGELES, December 8, 2020 — The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region is excited to announce that DriveH2, in collaboration with Toyota, has donated five Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles to the Red Cross blood services and disaster fleet. DriveH2 is the new public service initiative by Energy Independence Now (EIN), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and educating the world about the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.
SEE: Video of the Toyota Mirai donation (YouTube)
SEE: Photos of the Toyota Mirai (Flickr)
ALSO SEE: B-roll of cars on the road (Vimeo)
ALSO SEE: B-roll of donation interviews (Vimeo)
The Toyota Mirai creates electricity by converting hydrogen in an advanced fuel cell, leaving water vapor as the only tailpipe emission. The EPA rates the Mirai among the most fuel-efficient hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with one of the longest driving ranges. With a refueling time of just three to five minutes, the Mirai travels more than 300 miles on a full tank, with a combined city/highway fuel economy rating of more than 60 miles per gallon equivalent.
The addition of these cars to the Red Cross fleet aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order moving California toward zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The Red Cross, in partnership with DriveH2, is passionately pursuing that challenge as the dangers of climate change in the form of wildfires has steadily increased during the past few years, causing 2020 to be the most disastrous hurricane and wildfire season to date.
The Red Cross uses its fleet to execute the mission of responding to disaster and providing shelter and resources to those affected. The fleet also helps to transport blood between collection drives and the health providers. Just this past year, Los Angeles Region Red Crossers drove more than 104,500 miles.
“For the past few years, the Red Cross Los Angeles has been on the ground responding to growing numbers of wildfires and home fires,” said David Englin, chief operating officer of the Red Cross Los Angeles Region. “Adding these zero-emission vehicles to our fleet is aligned with our fundamental principles, one of which is humanity -- our commitment to protect life and alleviate suffering.”
“We’re delighted to be able to donate these vehicles to the Red Cross Los Angeles,” said Brian Goldstein, executive director of DriveH2/EIN. "This donation of fuel cell electric vehicles aligns perfectly with DriveH2's mission to raise awareness for hydrogen technology, a vital part of the zero-emission ecosystem. The vehicles' extended range and quick refueling time are a particularly good fit for the organization's operations, and we are honored to kick off this program alongside Toyota and the American Red Cross."
Available for interview:
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/la or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA or @CruzRojaLA.
About DriveH2
DriveH2 is a public service initiative by Energy Independence Now, an environmental non-profit committed to educating the world about the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. The organization engages in comprehensive research, policy advocacy and public outreach to promote the widespread adoption of a diverse zero-emission portfolio. Learn more at www.driveh2.org, and follow our story and updates across all social media platforms at @DriveH2.
About Toyota:
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, Toyota has built more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where they have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Their 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.
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