As a result of unprecedented demand for the Mirai fuel cell sedan, Toyota Motor Corporation today announced that it will increase production of the car which was launched in Japan on December 15, 2014. The new plan calls for production to increase from the 2015 level of 700 units to approximately 2,000 units in 2016 and 3,000 units in 2017.

Considering the 1,500 orders received in the first month of sales in Japan, and the upcoming launches in Europe and the United States later this year, it was decided that the supply structure should be adjusted to reflect the level of demand for the vehicle.

On January 15 in Tokyo, Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda delivered the first Mirai to Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. During the ceremony, Toyoda said: "This is a historic step and I'm truly excited. This will be a long journey, and to make this first step truly historic we will all need to work together."

Sales plans for Japan, the US and Europe following the production increases will be formulated taking into consideration each region's level of hydrogen infrastructure development, energy policies, car-purchasing subsidies, consumer demand, environmental regulations, and other factors.