TOYOTA has revealed that the second generation of its hydrogen-powered Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle will have a range of almost 400 miles when it arrives in the next few months.

Based on a new platform that allows for the installation of a third fuel tank, the new Mirai has had its range increased by some 30 per cent.

Toyota began development of a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle in 1992 and launched the first Mirai saloon in 2014.

The first generation Mirai was priced at £66,000 and Toyota says it is planning to cut the cost of the new model by around 20 per cent.

The latest Mirai has been restyled with a lower height and an increase in wheelbase to 2.92 metres. The car is now 4.975 metres long and has a wider track to enhance handling.

A new fuel cell stack is being used which has fewer cells than before - 330 compared to 370 - which makes it lighter.

The car uses hydrogen to generate electricity for zero emission motoring at all times and the only by-product is water.

The Japanese car maker is predicting a significant increase in sales of the new Mirai globally although its uptake in the UK has been small.

Its only real competitor in the British market is the Hyundai Nexo which is priced from around £70,000 and has a range of more than 400 miles.

The practicality of fuel cell vehicles is currently limited by the lack of hydrogen fuel stations with less than 20 available in the UK and most clustered in the London area.