- Three hydrogen Mirais on fleet at Ezi Palmerston North Airport.
- Special rental rate of $79 per day, 2-day/250km maximum.
- You don't have to fill it to return... because you can't.
Ezi rental car business customers are now able to hire the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai from the brand's Palmerston North Airport fleet.
The rental firm and location are strategically significant. Ezi is a subsidiary of Toyota Finance New Zealand, so it's all in the family. Palmy is also the national headquarters for Toyota NZ, so technical and administrative support is close at hand.
And perhaps most importantly, the airport is next-door to the Hiringa hydrogen fuelling station. Hydrogen vehicles require specialist fuelling infrastructure.
Toyota NZ has had examples of the Mirai on its fleet since 2022. A previous car-sharing project launched that year saw it available as a City Hop (another TNZ subsidiary) car-share between eight Auckland businesses: The Warehouse, Air NZ, Saatchi & Saatchi, TVNZ, Westpac, Spark and Z Energy.
The first-generation Mirai launched globally in 2014. The second-generation model, which is what's being used in the Ezi Car fleet, launched in 2020 and is currently on sale in Japan, the UK, Europe, and the US.
A hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) generates electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen, emitting only water vapour.
You won't be driving one to Auckland. Rental periods are limited to two days and the vehicles can only cover 250km before they need refuelling, which must be undertaken Ezi.
“Most of our customers have never seen a hydrogen vehicle, let alone driven one," says Anthony Kearns, chief executive of Ezi Car Rental. "That’s exactly why we wanted to be part of this.
"The Mirai is a special experience, and renting one takes no more effort than hiring any other car with us. Once people try it, it will change how they think about travel. We’re proud to be the first rental company in Aotearoa to pilot this and we’re excited to see the reaction from our corporate customers.”
Tatsuya Ishikawa, chief executive officer at Toyota NZ, says Ezi is a good partner for getting more people to experience Toyota’s range of electrified and low-emission vehicle technologies. The companies also have a bZ4X rental programme running in Auckland.
"The Mirai is a premium car, it drives beautifully, and making it available in the Manawatū is about putting that experience within reach of more NZers,” he says.
Ezi has three Toyota Mirais on its Palmerston North fleet. They can be booked through the Ezi Business portal by eligible corporate customers. There's an introductory rate of $79 per day for bookings made by 30 September 2026, which includes Ezi Ultra insurance with zero excess.