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Land Rover, Toyota big winners in ALG top resale value awards

"Residual value is important for automakers and consumers because it's a complete indicator of the vehicle's future value." - Larry Dominique
Toyota and Land Rover took home the top brand honors in ALG's 2015 Residual Value Awards, which will be presented this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Cleanliness of Toyota Mirai fuel cell exhaust depends on air quality

Is the water vapor coming out of Toyota's first production fuel-cell vehicle drinkable? If you're driving through the Sierra Nevadas? Probably. Cruising through Beijing? Not so much. Toyota executive Seiji Mizuno discussed whether the water vapor emitted from the Toyota Mirai is safe enough to drink and, according to Automotive News, the short answer is "yes," since the slightly-acidic vapor has "fewer organic impurities" than milk. The catch, though, is that the vapor immediately gets mixed with the surrounding air. That means that there's always the chance that something funky gets mixed in with the air intake, especially if the Mirai's driving through a smog-infested city. That makes the idea of swigging off the tailpipe a slightly riskier venture, so it's best to keep that reusable bottle full of tap water handy. Toyota, which recently showed the Mirai off at the Los Angeles Auto Show, confirmed earlier this month that the Mirai would start sales in California in 2015 with lease rates starting at $499 a month. While the model's MSRP will be $57,500, federal and state incentives could bring that number to less than $45,000. Fewer than 200 Mirai vehicles will be available in the US by the end of next year.

Hydrogen stations that don't work putting a dent in H2 lifestyle

Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe, but it's not abundant enough for some hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle drivers. Southern California lessees of models such as the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell SUV are taking to Facebook to voice their complaints about out-of-order fuel cell stations, Green Car Reports says. In many cases, the lack of hydrogen supply has made the cars effectively undriveable. For Tucson Fuel Cell owners, the hydrogen is supposed to be free and unlimited, but Hyundai doesn't manage the stations. One Orange County lessee of a Tucson fuel-cell vehicle hasn't driven the car for over a month because the trio of nearby stations are out of commission. Additionally, some of the stations that do work can only provide about a half-tank worth of hydrogen, once again putting a crimp the driving range of the hydrogen car. California is home to 10 of the dozen public hydrogen refueling stations in the country (there's one each in Connecticut and South Carolina), according to US Department of Energy figures. These sorts of challenges can't help Hyundai's hydrogen efforts. Last month, it was reported that Hyundai has sold fewer than 300 fuel cell vehicles worldwide during the past three years, including about 70 through the first five months of this year. The South Korea-based automaker has said it wants to sell 1,000 fuel-cell vehicles globally by the end of 2015. Fuel-cell drivers and advocates alike are hoping that Toyota will change the game when its Mirai hydrogen vehicles start hitting California roads later this year. Toyota confirmed in May that Mirai US sales would start in October in eight California dealerships. The Northeast is on tap for 2016. Related Video: