Honda Cars : Honda FCX Clarity still on track! Coming by 2015… | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Only 10 examples of the Honda FCX Clarity are presently on the road since its introduction last year. Despite that, Honda says that it is on track to meet its early sales goals for the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Honda targets that by 2015, it will be able to offer the FCX Clarity to consumers.

However, until it is able to bring the production costs to an affordable level, it is leasing the cars to select customers in California and Japan. Honda also faces the challenge of developing an accessible fueling infrastructure. Honda had hoped to lease 200 examples by 2012, but claims today that it’s still on pace. Sachito Fujimoto, the chief project manager for the FCX program, said that it will maintain its target of 200 cars and that he would like to make “fuel cell vehicles for the ordinary motorist.” He also talked about making the age of the fuel cell cars begin as early as possible. He said that Honda has tackled a number of issues preventing such vehicles from reaching the market, but still has an arduous task ahead. “The four stages of the five in total are behind us,” Fujimoto said. “We’re now at the beginning of the last and the steepest path to the top.” Among the issues that have yet to be resolved relate to the materials and process used in assembling a fuel cell stack, along with promoting a refueling infrastructure.

Source;
http://www.4wheelsnews.com/honda-fcx-clarity-still-on-track-coming-by-2015/

Honda Cars : Honda remains in driver's seat of fuel-cell cars | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

More fuel cell news....
Honda Motor is backing hydrogen power for the cars of the future, waving aside a decision by the Obama administration to drop the so-called fuel-cell technology in favor of battery-run vehicles.

"Fuel-cell cars will become necessary," said Takashi Moriya, head of Tokyo-based Honda's group developing the technology. "We're positioning it as the ultimate zero-emission car."

Honda, the only carmaker to lease hydrogen-powered autos to individuals, opened a production line last year in Tochigi prefecture to make 200 fuel-cell FCX Clarity sedans, the model being leased in a trial in Los Angeles.

The Obama administration sought to eliminate hydrogen-station funding and instead lend $1.6 billion to Nissan Motor and $465 million to Tesla Motors to make electric cars, and give $2.4 billion in grants to lithium-ion battery makers.

"Honda has a propensity to think very long term," said Ed Kim, an analyst at AutoPacific in Tustin, Calif. "It's also part of the company culture that if they've made a decision they think is correct, they'll really stick with it."

Honda is not alone. Toyota Motor, Daimler AG, General Motors and Hyundai Motor say hydrogen, the universe's most abundant element, is among the few options to replace oil as a low-carbon transportation fuel.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in May his department would "be moving away" from hydrogen as it's unlikely the U.S. can convert to the fuel even after 20 years. Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn predicts electric vehicles may grab 10 percent of global auto sales by 2020. Honda hasn't announced plans for a battery-powered car.

Hydrogen, made mainly for industrial use from natural gas, costs about $5 to $10 per kilogram for vehicles in California, more than double an equivalent amount of gasoline. The Energy Department estimates future prices for hydrogen will fall to $2 to $3 a kilogram, Toyota said.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda said Aug. 5 his company plans consumer sales of fuel-cell cars within six years. Toyota, like Honda, is making "exponential progress" with fuel cell technology, Justin Ward, manager of Toyota's U.S. advanced powertrain program, said in an interview.

Battery-powered electric cars are further along in the market. Mitsubishi Motors started selling the i-MiEV last month. Tesla sells a $109,000 Roadster and Nissan unveiled its first electric car, the Leaf, this month. It plans limited sales of the model in Japan and the United States next year.

Honda says hydrogen vehicles match the refueling style drivers are used to: filling up in minutes at a service station. Nissan's Leaf recharges fully in 30 minutes with a fast-charger, or up to 16 hours on a household outlet, said Tetsuro Sasaki, senior manager of Nissan's battery test group.

A budget crisis slowed plans for more hydrogen stations in California, home to the biggest fleet of cars using the fuel. At the federal level, Chu sought $333.3 million in May for battery and advanced gasoline autos in the 2010 budget, up 22 percent. Hydrogen funds were cut 60 percent to $68 million, slashing money that would have gone to transportation projects.

The Clarity is available in the United States only in Los Angeles, where drivers can use about 16 hydrogen stations. The 5- passenger car has a top speed of 100 miles an hour and goes 240 miles, more than double the 100-mile range of Nissan's compact electric car. Through July, Honda leased cars to 10 drivers for $600 a month.

One problem for Honda is the need for a network of hydrogen filling stations.
"We cannot do infrastructure alone," Moriya said. "We've been developing the cars on our own without government support."

The Senate and House voted in July to restore the funds. President Barack Obama must approve the final budget.

Honda and Toyota will have to reduce production costs to win over consumers. Fuel cells need more platinum -- a precious metal that costs more than $1,200 an ounce -- and current durability is half that of gasoline engines, according to Moriya.

Honda plans to offer hydrogen-powered cars at costs comparable to midsize gasoline autos by 2020. Honda said its 2005 hand-built predecessor to the Clarity cost about $1 million. Moriya wouldn't discuss the Clarity's price.

Honda engineers in Tochigi are trying to trim costs. For 13 months, technicians have worked in a semiconductor-style clean-room, coating rolls of plastic film for fuel-cell membranes. Nearby, a press stamps stainless-steel plates that will grip the material. Hundreds of the cells are then sealed in a metal case, forming the fuel-cell stack.

Honda's hydrogen push has been undermined by plunging sales in the United States, its main market. Last quarter, profit at Japan's second-largest carmaker fell 96 percent to 7.5 billion yen ($79 million). Its research budget is 515 billion yen this fiscal year, down 8.5 percent. Funds for fuel cells were cut and some spending shifted to other "priorities," Moriya said, without elaborating.

Honda probably spends "a few tens of billions of yen" a year on fuel cells, said analyst Mamoru Kato at Tokai Tokyo Research Center in Nagoya.

"Maybe, just maybe, fuel cells will be the future," said Edwin Merner, who helps manage about $3 billion at Atlantis Investment Research in Tokyo. "And if you're not in there, then you have a big disadvantage."

Source;
http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2009/08/honda_remains_in_drivers_seat.html

Honda Cars : Honda backs hydrogen tech; going into production | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda is pushing ahead with its plans to begin mass-production of its hydrogen fuel-cell-powered FCX Clarity, despite the slow take-up of hydrogen technology.

In the US, a key market for hydrogen technology, the Obama administration has publically backed electric car technology and has consistently distanced itself from creating a hydrogen network.

In other key markets, including Britain, no hydrogen network currently exists.
Takashi Moriya, head of the Tokyo-based Honda group developing the technology, said: “Fuel-cell cars will become necessary. We’re positioning it [the FCX Clarity] as the ultimate zero-emission car.”

At present, Honda is the only major car manufacturer offering its fuel-cell vehicles to members of the public for leasing. GM and Toyota have also publically backed the adoption of hydrogen fuel-cell technology.

GM plans to launch a fuel-cell car by 2012, while Toyota president Akio Toyoda confirmed his company would bring a fuel-cell car to market within the next six years.

Source;
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/Honda-Concepts/242482/

Honda Cars : 2009 Honda FCX Clarity First Drive by Edmunds' Inside Line | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

This would be my first time seeing any 'live' footage of the FCX Clarity. Nice.

Honda Cars : First Drive: Honda FCX Clarity | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

A drive in the world’s most advanced fuel cell car




Vancouver, British Columbia – Unveiled in November, 2007 at the Los Angeles Auto show, the production version of the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car – yes, the production version – is now being leased to a limited number of “early adopters” in southern California - including some movie stars such as Jamie Lee Curtis - on a three-year lease for US$600 a month. Honda plans to have about 200 FCX Claritys on the road in the U.S. and Japan by 2011.

The Honda FCX Clarity is a (U.S.) street legal, zero-emissions, fuel cell-powered mid-size sedan that meets all current North American safety standards and performs much like a standard four-cylinder gasoline-engined car, according to Honda. One was recently driven from southern California to Vancouver as part of the Hydrogen Road Tour 2009, a promotional rally sponsored by various government and corporate entities interested in the promotion of hydrogen as an automotive fuel – you can read CanadianDriver’s coverage here. I was one of a group of eager journalists to get a brief test drive in the FCX Clarity last week.

Unlike most other fuel cell vehicles now being tested in small fleets, the FCX Clarity doesn’t make use of an existing vehicle bodystyle that is converted to a fuel cell vehicle. The FCX Clarity is a clean-sheet design engineered and designed around its fuel cell drive components. As a result, Honda was able to package the components in a way that permitted a roomy four-passenger interior, a spacious trunk, and an eye-catching aerodynamic exterior design.

Under that stylish exterior, the FCX Clarity’s fuel cell components include a high pressure (5000 psi) hydrogen tank behind the rear seat; a third-generation Honda fuel cell stack in the console between the driver and front passenger that generates a maximum 100 kilowatts of electricity; a 288-volt lithium-ion battery under the rear seat to store the electricity; a combined 100-kW electric drive motor/coaxial gearbox/power drive unit in the engine bay that propels the car with the equivalent of 134 horsepower and 189 ft-lbs of torque.

Essentially, the FCX Clarity is an electric car powered by a fuel cell assisted by a powerful battery, and it has some similarities to Honda’s gasoline-electric hybrid cars. Pressurized hydrogen gas is fed into the fuel cell where it’s combined with oxygen to create electricity (the only byproduct is water). The electricity flows to a 100-kW AC synchronous electric motor where it is directed by the Power Drive Unit (PDU) through a one-speed (plus Reverse) coaxial gearbox to the front wheels.

During start-up and acceleration, electricity from the lithium ion battery supplements power from the fuel cell and during deceleration, the electric motor acts as a generator to charge the battery. When cruising on the highway, the car operates on electricity from the fuel cell stack alone. When the FCX Clarity is stopped, an idle stop system shuts down the fuel cell stack, and the electricity needed for the power steering, power brakes, air conditioning and other power features is supplied by the battery.

The FCX Clarity has come a long way from the original Honda FCX fuel cell car introduced in 2002. That car was a boxy, two-door subcompact car with a fuel cell that weighed 202 kilograms and developed 60 kW of power, and couldn’t operate at sub-zero temperatures. The current FCX Clarity, by comparison, is a mid-size four-door sedan with a 100-kW fuel cell that weighs only 67 kg, is less than half the size of Honda’s original fuel cell, and can operate at temperatures down to minus 30 degrees Celsius.

On the road, the FCX Clarity drives much like a battery-electric car. Off-the-line throttle response is immediate because of the abundant low-end torque of 189 ft-lbs from 0 to 3000 r.p.m. courtesy of the lithium ion battery and electric motor. Under acceleration, there is a slight hissing sound from the fuel cell and a whine from the electric motor, but it’s much quieter overall than a gasoline engine. The single speed coaxial gearbox has no gear changes – power delivery is just a smooth, linear progression.

The FCX Clarity’s curb weight of 1624 kg (3582 lbs) is a little more than an Accord EX 4-cylinder sedan at 1550 kg (3417 lbs) but Honda says its acceleration times are comparable. According to the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), an Accord EX 4-cylinder goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds. The FCX Clarity’s top speed is 160 km/h.

A maximum driving range of 385 kilometres is not as good as a conventional gasoline-engined car, but it is twice that of many battery-electric cars.

With a fully independent suspension (double wishbone front suspension, independent multi-link rear suspension), and a low, wide stance, the FCX Clarity handles and rides with stability and comfort and while it’s electric power rack and pinion steering doesn’t offer much feedback, the car’s tight turning diameter of just 10.8 metres (35.4 feet) allows tight turns and excellent manoeuvrability.

Fuel economy is measured in miles per kilogram of hydrogen (mile/kg-h2) and the FCX Clarity averages 68 miles/kg H2. But because we don’t know what a kilogram of hydrogen gas would cost at a hydrogen station of the future, it’s difficult to compare the fuel costs of gasoline vs hydrogen. Honda does say that the FCX Clarity’s fuel efficiency is up to three times that of a gasoline-powered automobile and two times that of a gasoline-powered hybrid vehicle.

It takes only five minutes to fill up the FCX Clarity’s pressurized gaseous hydrogen fuel tank. The time is comparable to a conventional gasoline car or hybrid and much better than a battery-electric car which usually requires from three to eight hours to recharge, depending on the charging system.

The FCX Clarity’s futuristic four-passenger interior design includes a single round illuminated gauge facing the driver with an H2 meter, a battery meter, a Power/Charge display, and a round ball in the centre of the display that changes size and colour depending on the driver’s mileage – blue is good, yellow is normal, and amber is poor. As in other Hondas, the speedometer is a digital readout on top of the dash. A Power button starts up the fuel cell after a key has been inserted, and a very small electronic gear shift lever to the right of the steering wheel lets the driver select a gear, which is indicated in the gauge display.

All the interior fabric coverings are made from corn and plant biomass “to help move away from petroleum-based resins and other synthetic fibres,” according to Honda. That includes the seats, armrests, console trays, carpeting, roof linings and trunk linings.

The silver-coloured centre stack protrudes aggressively into the cabin for easier reach of the controls, and the navigation system includes a location finder for the nearest hydrogen station. Headroom and legroom for all four occupants is generous, but my guess is that the rear centre console will eventually be replaced by a centre seat to make it a five-passenger sedan. The FCX Clarity’s trunk volume of 371 litres (13.1 cu. ft.) is almost as good as the Accord sedan with 397 litres (14.0 cu. ft.)

The FCX Clarity is arguably, the most advanced fuel cell car in the world. It’s stylish, practical, comfortable, safe, street-legal, and emissions-free. In April 2009, an international group of 59 independent automotive journalists from 25 countries named it “2009 World Green Car” from amongst 22 contenders.

Honda has proven that it can build a practical, safe and clean zero-emissions vehicle, and others will soon follow. The next step is for energy companies, governments and investors to finance and build a viable hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. That will be a challenge, but if Honda were to put CEOs and elected representatives behind the wheel of an FCX Clarity for a day, I think the chances would be much better.

Greg Wilson is a Vancouver-based automotive journalist and editor of CanadianDriver. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

Source;
http://www.canadiandriver.com/2009/06/12/first-drive-honda-fcx-clarity.htm?page=all

Awesome review, check out the other pics on the link above!

Honda Cars : Schwarzenegger gives shout out to Honda, just like Obama's nod to Ford | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

I never thought I'd see the day that Arnold drove a Honda.... Strange times indeed!
On opposite coasts, two of the nation's best known political figures have been lauding their cars.
First, President Obama told Ford CEO Alan Mulally and a large gathering in the White House last week how much he misses the Ford he left behind in Chicago. It's still waiting for him, he said. “By the way, I just want to mention, I think I still have my Ford parked in Chicago. It’s a Ford hybrid. It runs great. You guys should take a look,” he was quoted by TheNew York Times as having said. Mulally "broke into a wide grin and pumped his fist enthusiastically."

Then yesterday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who happened to have been in the Rose Garden that day, gave his own shout out to Honda at an event in Los Angeles to promote hydrogen-powered vehicles. He praised a Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell car that has been given to his family to try out."I just got the Clarity," he said. "We're all fighting over who is driving it." He said his daughter seemed most enthusastic about it.

A Honda spokesman, Kurt Antonius, said the car was loaned to the governor for a few days, but had since been returned.

That's Schwarzenegger in the photo at top at the event in front of the Clarity. The woman to his left is Clarity driver Q’orianka Kilcher, who starred as Pocahontas in the 2005 film The New World. She has become an advocate for fuel-cell cars.

Honda's CEO wasn't around for Schwarzenegger's nod, but it was pretty clear he would have pumped his fist as well.

Here's another well known celebrity that drives a Honda FCX Clarity.
Back in the day....

Source;
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/openroad/post/2009/05/67349725/1

Honda Cars : Fuel cells finally staged to power the future, thanks to Honda's FCXClarity. | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

The fuel cell has long been viewed as pie-in-the-sky engineering - something to dream about, but having little chance of ever changing the world's dependence on fossil-based fuels. In the past couple of years, however, things have started to change. Big time.

In the past, most fuel cells had a life cycle of around 1,500 hours (or approximately three years of normal use) before there is a noticeable decrease (15 per cent) in performance. The latest fuel cells address this shortcoming while accomplishing so much more.

For example, Kia's Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) program took a big step forward with the debut of the Borrego FCEV at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show. When compared to the 108 horsepower, fuel cell-powered Sportage I drove in 2007, the Borrego boasts a 44 per cent boost in power. The fuel cell and its 450-volt supercapacitor storage system is capable of putting 154 horsepower to the pavement while delivering a best-in-class system efficiency of 62 per cent. The upshot is a top speed of 160 km/h, a zero- to 100- km/h time of 12.8 seconds and a driving range of 680 kilometres from its 202-litre hydrogen tank.

As in life, it is usually the smallest of things that make the biggest difference - and it's usually a eureka moment that leads to the breakthrough. This is particularly true of the Honda FCX Clarity. In the FCX's case, the eureka moment came when Yozo Kami, executive chief engineer of the FCX, literally turned the fuel cell stack on its head.

In 1999, Honda's fuel cell was large (it needed 4.7 cubic feet to house it), weighed 202 kilograms and had an output of just 60 kilowatts. While the output had risen to 86 kW and the weight had dropped to 96 kg by 2003, size still represented a significant challenge - enough that it necessitated the use of a SUV-like vehicle to accommodate it. The FCX's V Flow (for vertical flow) fuel cell, introduced in 2007, is housed in a box about the size of a standard aircraft roll-on suitcase (1.9 cu. ft.), weighs just 67 kg and produces 100 kW of real-world power - a massive 50 per cent increase in the power-to-volume ratio.

The V Flow's other breakthrough seems so simple in hindsight. Conventional fuel cell stacks lie horizontally in the vehicle, which consumes valuable space. The V Flow stack stands vertically between the FCX's front seats. Reorienting the stack not only reduced its space requirement, it eliminated a major drawback: When the fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen (to produce electricity), it also produces water that needs to be drained. During the winter months, any water left within the fuel cell at shut down freezes which renders the fuel cell useless. The V Flow uses gravity to rid the cell of the water. This twist also allows the fuel cell to be started at -30 C, meaning it's capable of working just about anywhere in the world, including northern Canada.

To take the original FXC from concept to reality, Kami also needed a smaller electric drive motor and smaller battery pack. No problem. The FCX Clarity's coaxial electric motor is 162 millimetres narrower than its predecessor and by adopting a new 288-volt lithium-ion battery pack, the mass and space requirements dropped by 40 and 43 per cent, respectively. The latter means the battery is now small enough to fit under the rear seat. All of this work delivered a fuel cell powertrain that's a whopping 180 kg lighter and 40 per cent smaller than Honda's previous unit.

The electric motor delivers 134 horsepower and 189 pound-feet of torque anywhere from one to 3,056 rpm. The result is a ton of low-end grunt (enough to set off the traction control system if one nails the accelerator) and a sustained pull through the mid-range. It also delivers a top speed of 160 km/ hour and a real-world driving range of 440 km, both of which are a match for a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle.

After driving the FCX Clarity it became only too obvious to me that the fuel cell has finally come of age. The proof came in April at New York Auto Show. The FCX Clarity was named the 2009 World Green Car - it beat 22 contenders from 25 countries to take the prestigious crown.

Celebrities are also buying into the whole zero-emission thing. On Aug. 5, 2008, Jamie Lee Curtis became the second person to take delivery of an FCX Clarity. Curtis is one of approximately 200 customers who will lease the vehicle in the United States and Japan, the vast majority of vehicles being based in Southern California where there is some semblance of a refuelling infrastructure.
The globalization of the fuel cell system and hydrogen's potential to become the next fuel source is growing as more people start to recognize the need to develop realistic zero-emission vehicles. Europe and Japan will likely be the first to embrace fuel cells. In North America, it is going to take some serious political will to begin the shift away from today's gas-guzzling frenzy and towards tomorrow's hydrogen-driven world.

automotive@sympatico.ca

Source;
http://www.canada.com/Fuel+cells+finally+staged+power+future+thanks+Honda+FCXClarity/1590751/story.html

Honda Cars : Car and Driver: We Talk With The Third Lessee of a Honda FCX Clarity - Interview | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

BY AARON ROBINSON June 2009

Who: Jim Salomon, 52, Builder
What: Third person to receive a Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell car
Where: Newport Beach, California

What was your first car?
I hate to say this, but it was a 1957 Nash Metropolitan.

Did girls laugh at you in high school?
Uh, sort of, yeah. It was a three-on-the-tree, turquoise and white. I picked it up for 50 bucks, and it was like brand-new.

With what can you compare the Clarity?
I have to compare this car with my Ford GT, but it’s such a totally different driving experience. The lack of shifting. The lack of gears. It’s got a lot of torque, which surprises me for an environmentally friendly car.

Are you going to sell any of your four gasoline-powered cars now?
Not all, but probably some of the modern ones. This car replaced a Mercedes S550. I do not like driving that car anymore. When I got the Clarity, I drove it for about three weeks. Then I jumped into the Mercedes to run a quick errand. It felt like there was an anchor tied to the bumper. I always thought the Benz had good pickup, but the Clarity feels like you’re devoid of gravity.

Do you know how the fuel cell works?
I’m not a scientist, but I am mechanically minded. You basically have an onboard generator, which is the fuel cell, and it takes hydrogen through the fuel-cell membranes, which are made up of palladium and other metals, which creates a reverse electrolysis reaction, which creates electricity to power the motor.

What’s the range?
Honda says 270 miles; I’ve been getting 220. I drive the car hard. I’ve gotten it up to 100 mph.

This car is leased from Honda [$600 per month; 36-month fixed-term, no-option lease]. What happens if you crash it?
They never said anything about that. The lease includes everything—brakes, tires. I guess collision, too. You can’t take it to Maaco. I definitely do not want to be the first Clarity driver to crack up a car. I heard the press crashed one.

It wasn’t us.

Source;
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/features_classic_cars/we_talk_with_the_third_lessee_of_a_honda_fcx_clarity_interview

Honda Cars : 2009 World Green Car Winner is the Honda FCX Clarity | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

At the New York Auto Show this morning, the organizers of the World Car of the Year competition honored four cars that garnered the most votes in their respective categories from an international jury of journalists. While other categories were open to all newly introduced cars, the Green Car of the Year started with a list of 22 significant cars that had been produced in volumes of at least 10 and were in the hands of customers or test fleets. A team of three international experts in the field representing North America, Europe and Asia (including yours truly) examined the list and narrowed it down to five finalists. Among those, the top three vote-getters from the overall jury were the Honda FCX Clarity, Toyota iQ and Mitsubishi iMiEV, with the fuel cell-powered Clarity taking the top prize.

Source;
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/09/new-york-2009-and-the-world-green-car-of-the-year-is/

Honda Cars : Honda ready for a world beyond gas | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

The hydrogen fuel-cell-powered Honda FC Sport design study model makes its Canadian public debut today at the 2009 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.

The oddly configured three-seat sports-car concept is designed to show the flexibility and potential of Honda's V Flow fuel-cell technology -- already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan.

"The Honda FC Sport explores new ways to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum," said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice-president of Honda Canada.

"People who enjoy sports cars will not be forgotten by Honda in a hydrogen-powered future."
The high-output powertrain and a sleek, aerodynamic body contribute to the vehicle's performance potential. The majority of vehicle mass is distributed between the axles, creating the balanced weight distribution sought after in sports cars.

Source;
http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/driving/story.html?id=cf75dbc8-d52e-44b4-b423-050a5c7ee697

Honda Cars : Honda Clarity Burns Hydrogen, Emits Only Water: Jason H. Harper | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Here's a good article from Bloomberg.com with some information on the Honda FCX Clartiy....
Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -- It’s not every day that you get to kick the wheels on the car of tomorrow. After all, the question of what will power future automobiles is a guessing game, with candidates ranging from electricity and compressed natural gas to hydrogen fuel cells.

Honda made an expensive bet in that guessing game by designing the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity. It’s costly (perhaps $500,000 each to produce), yet the sedan emits only water.

Both Honda and Chevy are testing fuel-cell vehicles by making them available for lease by select customers. Hydrogen’s big upside is its cleanliness and ability to be produced from many sources, even water and human waste.

Fuel-cell stacks are akin to mini power stations in which the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen is converted into electricity, which then powers an electric motor. Since hydrogen is a gas, it’s stored under pressure in reinforced tanks.

There are big hurdles to clear because the technology is expensive and an entire hydrogen refueling infrastructure will need to be created. (Honda’s previous FCX, first delivered in 2002, cost about $1 million each to produce. Executives are coy but say the Clarity costs about half that.)

I pick up the Clarity in Manhattan with the intent of driving it dry, as I’m curious about the refueling process itself. Is it complicated?

I turn the key, push the start button and the center gauges soon turn blue, indicating it’s ready to drive. Like a hybrid or electric car, there’s no start-up noise.

I motor into traffic, trying not to ignore the fact that while the Clarity is as exotic and expensive as an Italian supercar, nobody else -- including errant yellow taxis -- knows this. Best to avoid fender benders.

Refueling Station

I’m on my way to Allentown, Pennsylvania, about 90 miles away. There I will find Air Products & Chemicals Inc. and its hydrogen refilling station. The Clarity has a range of 190 miles of highway driving, 280 of combined city/freeway. (Like hybrids, fuel-cell vehicles get better mileage in town, at slow speeds with less wind resistance.) A full tank is just enough for one back-and-forth trip.

In the Clarity’s case, hydrogen is delivered as pressurized gas, and one kilogram is roughly equivalent to one gallon of gas. Over 200 miles in the day, I average 55 miles per “gallon.” Yet the tank only holds about four kilograms of hydrogen, and if you run out, a flatbed truck is in your immediate future.

Only in California

The Clarity has its own production line, which over the next three years will put out some 200 cars. Only Southern California customers are currently getting them since the state has the most hydrogen stations. Customers are pre-vetted, and leases cost $600 a month for three years, including maintenance and insurance. (So far, only a few have been delivered.) Honda is obviously not making money on the project, but it does suggest a certain seriousness.

New York won’t see the Clarity soon. General Motors Corp., though, is offering its fuel-cell Chevy Equinox SUV at no cost to some 100 drivers in New York, Southern California and Washington, D.C. New York drivers can use a Shell station in White Plains.

The Clarity was expressly designed as a fuel-cell vehicle, and the result is an elegant and handsome four-door sedan. With no big engine in the front, the hood and overhang are quite short and offset by a raked windshield. The Clarity is basically one long swoop, with a high back trunk to minimize air drag. Futuristic, though not aggressively so.

Easy Handling

I’m surprised to find that it drives just about like any other Honda. It’s easy to negotiate in traffic, handles nicely and doesn’t feel especially sluggish. Nor did I have any problem keeping up with fast traffic on the highway.

It looks like a real car, too. The test version has a metallic burgundy paint job, attractive wheel rims and an interior that would make an Acura proud, with GPS navigation, cooled and heated seats and tons of room.

Electronic gauges monitor gas mileage, hydrogen levels and range, and how much power is recaptured while braking (a technology shared with hybrids). A small circle at the center expands and contracts depending on how much power is being used -- an intuitive way of gauging how efficiently you’re driving.

My range is dwindling as I near Allentown, and I’m glad to find Air Products, which has some 85 hydrogen stations in 15 countries. They’re expecting me, and representatives explain the simple refueling process.

I insert a narrow hose onto a nozzle inside the car’s gas latch and then turn a locking lever. It’s a “closed system,” so the hydrogen neither leaks nor releases fumes. The pump performs a check of the pressure inside the car’s hydrogen chamber, then begins fueling.

Minutes later, I’m back on the road to New York.

No doubt hydrogen technology has a long way to go to become practical, yet if the Clarity is any indication, the actual process of driving and refueling could be a painless one.

The Honda FCX Clarity at a Glance

Engine: Fuel-cell stack and electric drive motor, with 134 horsepower and 189 pound-feet of torque.

Transmission: One-speed direct drive.

Speed: 0 to 60 miles per hour in about 10 seconds.

Gas mileage per kilogram: 77 city; 67 highway.

Best features: Emits only water but drives like a gas-fueled car.

Worst feature: The fear of running out of hydrogen and being stranded.

Target buyer: The true environmental front runner (who also lives in Southern California).

Source;
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601093&sid=atizckxemqGw&refer=home#

Honda Cars : First U.S.-spec Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicles roll off production line | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda today announced its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity, started production at the automaker's dedicated fuel cell vehicle factory in Japan. The first five four-seater sedans will be delivered to American VIPs in Southern California in July, with Honda planning on releasing 200 examples Stateside and in Japan over three years. The FCX is the first fuel cell-powered car to be approved for lease in the U.S.

The five California customers include film producer Ron Yerxa, actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis, her film-making husband Christopher Guest, actress Laura Harris and first-gen FCX owner Jon Spallino. The region has three Honda dealers equipped to service the vehicle and three hydrogen filling stations. Honda will study the drivers' driving patterns and the vehicle's performance to learn and improve on the technology in future versions of the car.

The Clarity promises to deliver a 280-mile range and an equivalent gasoline fuel economy of about 74mpg thanks to its lithium ion battery pack that drives an electric motor. Electricity for the battery pack is generated by the fuel cell, with the only by-product being water. Compared to the first-generation car, which was available in Japan only, the new FCX represents a 30 percent increase in range and a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy thanks to a battery pack that is 40 percent smaller and half as heavy.

The FCX's motor is rated at 134 horsepower and 189 lb-ft of torque available instantenously. Customers who wish to lease the FCX will need to meet Honda's requirements (proximity to filling stations and driving habits chief among them) and sign up for a three-year lease at $600 per month.

Source;
http://www.leftlanenews.com/first-us-spec-honda-fcx-clarity-fuel-cell-vehicles-roll-off-production-lines.html

Honda Cars : '2009 Honda FCX Clarity' Revealed | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Well, here's the production version of the FCX the hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered car, this will go on sale mid 2008, initially limited to Southern Californians where hydrogen filling stations are available. Apparently it is only going to be leased for 3 yrs for $600US/mth. Honda also is developing a home fueling station that uses a home's existing natural gas supply to produce hydrogen. In a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, hydrogen combines with oxygen in the vehicle's fuel-cell stack, and energy from the reaction is converted into electricity to power the vehicle. The vehicle's only emission is water.

Honda Cars : New Honda Hybrid in the Works to Properly Compete with the Toyota Prius | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

The Toyota Prius has pretty much dominated the Hybrid battle, at least as far as numbers are concerned. This is partly due to the fact that the Prius has alot of usable space, especially considering that it is a hatchback. In my neck of the woods, the Prius is the Taxi cab of choice (and who can blame them, great on gas with flexible storage space). The Honda Civic has its battery located between the trunk and rear seat, limiting the trunk space and getting rid of the rear folding seats (the only knock that I can think of on the car)!
Honda has now decided that it is time to give the Prius a little more competition. Honda has big plans for their next Hybrid. The new model will only be available with a hybrid system and is rumored to take its styling cues from the FCX fuel-cell vehicle set for production next year.
See my post on the FCX here;
http://bestscoops.blogspot.com/2007/10/2010-honda-fcx.html
My guess is the one up manship begins not only with style but a Clean-Diesel Hybrid Engine!

Honda Cars : 2010 Honda FCX | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Fuel Cells. This is another area that Honda's Research and Development has taken them. Not sure what the price point will be, or if we will even have an opportunity to buy one in Canada, but it sure looks nice.

It features a compact, Honda-developed fuel-cell stack in the middle of the car with two hydrogen tanks in the rear. The stack is actually much smaller than is now technologically feasible, but Honda says that it shows "our dream."