Honda announces first fuel-cell production car - Threads Merged

[webby]

Honda announces first fuel-cell production car
Thu 15 Nov, 2007, 17:05


Honda is to manufacture a fuel-cell car for public sale, making a world first. A production version of the FCX concept saloon will go on sale in the United States and Japan in the summer of next year, selected owners having the opportunity to lease the car for three years at a price of $600 (under £300) including maintenance.

The FCX is electrically propelled, electricity generated by its fuel cell, seats four and comes with luxury equipment that includes an infotainment system, air-conditioned seats and a premium hi-fi. It is a little bigger than a Honda Accord, and looks largely similar to the concept version previously seen. In contrast to that car its body is made from steel, and it now has a conventional radiator grille, but otherwise looks much as for the original concept.

The car will be leased only in very localised areas because of the very limited availability of the hydrogen fuel it runs on - in the Los Angeles area of California there are currently three refuelling stations, only one of them 24/7, limiting its use to people who live within 100 miles or so of a station. The FCX has a range of 270 miles. But new hydrogen fuel stations are scheduled to open - there will be 11 by the end of 2008, and 19 in the area by 2012, with many more coming after that as part of California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to build a 'hydrogen highway.'

Honda believes that zero emission hydrogen fuel cell cars are the ultimate solution to the car pollution problem, and has invested vast - though undisclosed - sums in the project. It will be making a substantial loss on the FCXs that it leases - though to be around a hundred vehicles, possibly more - but the data it gathers from real-world customers will enable it to come a stage closer to its goal of selling fuel cell cars in quantity.

[brazilianguy]

that is great to hear, but i feel its going to be just like the "eletric car" we had a few years back, where they only leased it, and when the lease was over they took the cars back and destroyed most of them
you can see it all in the movie "who killed the eletric car"




i really hope it doesnt come down like the eletric car, i hope this moves on and we can all drive fuel-celled cars

[Driving91LX]

repost http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65188

[atruhondagrl]

Originally Posted by Utsaappt802

I think it’s a great car/idea but why do they always have to make these hybrids look so ugly. It seems as they go out of their way to make them unappealing to the eye almost in a premeditated way to detour people from buying them due to looks alone. I smell a scandal here, looks like the government got to them too. j/k

Hear, Hear! I'll drink a wheatgrass juice to that.

If Honda made the Accord Hybrid available in a coupe, I'd get one. Why does economic and efficient have to be so blah? Why can't they make stylish hybrids for people who may not have offspring or the need to shuttle others around? It's about time they made sleek, sexy and sporty efficient hybrids.

[webby]

Originally Posted by Driving91LX

repost http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65188

that was my bad - merged the two

[Izzy]

Originally Posted by atruhondagrl

Hear, Hear! I'll drink a wheatgrass juice to that.

If Honda made the Accord Hybrid available in a coupe, I'd get one. Why does economic and efficient have to be so blah? Why can't they make stylish hybrids for people who may not have offspring or the need to shuttle others around? It's about time they made sleek, sexy and sporty efficient hybrids.

I think most people would see the utility in having both four doors, and a hybrid engine. Lord knows why, but that's my take on it. As for the design itself...would aerodynamics wield a part in that? Well, I wouldn't think so, as the Prius doesn't look all that slippery in the first place.

I quite like this HCX though, it looks decent, even with its GreenRoots look.

[Tim]

From this picture, it also appears to drive itself, and the navigation is either just turning on, or it's tremendously zoomed out. Robotic cars of the future!

[Leonard1818]

Is there a secret rule that all hybrid/hydrogen/economical vehicles have to be butt ass oogly?

[RJJensen]

Originally Posted by atruhondagrl

Looks like a Prius raped a Civic and some dormant Accord size gene kicked in.

funny but that is exactly what it looks like...i like how theyr usin the civic steering wheel and split dash..the interior is nice the exterior ehh

[DNieves]

Looks nice, anybody noticed Honda stole the clear frosted plastic around the AC from the latest Camry? It'd be cool if that technology matures enough for Honda to make a sport version (picture the interior lights all in red like the Si). I wonder if hydrogen cars are under higher scrutiny since a crash could result in a more severe explosion than their gasoline counterparts? Speaking of crash tests, does Honda have knee airbags?

[NIGHTHAWKSI]

just wanted to mention i saw a honda commercial on TV featuring thise car.

[DNieves]

Originally Posted by NIGHTHAWKSI

just wanted to mention i saw a honda commercial on TV featuring thise car.

That commercial is on BBC America every 10 minutes, nice car and Asimo is pretty cool in it too!

[Driving91LX]

Here's a neat commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU2w8xwVNmY

[CameronJr9]

The Honda FCX Clarity is hugely important because it represents an honest to goodness fuel-cell vehicle that is going to actually be built and sold in 2008. The significance of a vehicle that spits water out of its exhaust instead of carbon is lost on virtually nobody, and it looks like Honda will be the first out of the gate. Honda has created a clever commercial to show how important its new accomplishment is, and it involves a bunch of thugs shooting it out with water guns. It's good stuff, and you can view it by clicking the read link below.
[Source: YouTube]

More...

[Cr8tive_leo]

Noice!
I chuckled when I read this on the Clarity site...

FCX Clarity is powered by an electric motor. The car you drove to
work today is probably powered by an engine.

.. ummm... yeah... it is, so is the clarity... they both have engines/motors , tomatoe/tomotoe potatoe/pototoe .. *chuckles again*

[Driving91LX]

On the subject of fuel economy, how about a full-sized truck that gets 60 mpg like a Prius? Plus, there are no batteries or electric motors.
Hydraulic hybrids make perfect sense to me, even if just to fill the gap between now and when we can do away with gas engines altogether.
Check it out:
http://www.planetblueoval.com/ford/f...t_1_000599.asp

[eliptik]

California's proposed Hydrogen Highway may still be in its infancy, but starting next year Southern Californians will be able to lease the FCX Clarity, what Honda is touting to be a full-fledged production fuel cell vehicle. The announcement came at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show , where all the big automakers have unveiled their latest eco-models, including Chevy's new Tahoe Hybrid SUV, which just won Green Car of the Year . The Hybrid Tahoe is indicative of a general trend toward hybrid and flexfuel vehicles, and away from the greatly hyped hydrogen fuel cell car. Movies like "Who Killed the Electric Car" and negative press coverage, combined with the Big Three’s reluctance to embrace the technology, had led many to believe hydrogen was a dead end.

Honda, however, has been moving forward with fuel cell technology ever since they debuted the FCX back in 2002, despite the lack of fueling stations and questions about the environmental implications of hydrogen production. They have steadily tweaked and improved the vehicle, to the point that it now boasts a range of 270 miles per tank, fuel economy of 68 miles per gallon, and a lightweight lithium-ion battery pack. The big breakthrough seems to be in the 45% smaller powertrain,which frees up space for the larger hydrogen tank and battery pack, and increases the power-to-weight ratio by 25%. It is still unclear how many Clarities will be manufactured in 2008, but don’t expect to see one in your neighborhood anytime soon; they will only be leased for three years to certain customers in Southern California, at a cost of $600 per month.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007...uelcellcar.php

[ryker]

Still requires coal or nuclear power.... to create the hyrdrogen. But I'm glad that Honda is leader.

[atruhondagrl]

Originally Posted by ryker

Still requires coal or nuclear power.... to create the hyrdrogen. But I'm glad that Honda is leader.

Come on!



Used Plutonium!!! 23 years ago! LOL.

[TJ213]

Originally Posted by ryker

Still requires coal or nuclear power.... to create the hyrdrogen. But I'm glad that Honda is leader.

I don't know about all of the stations, but the one I saw in the news broadcast about the last gen FCX used solar energy and tap water.