Honda FCX Clarity

Only 200 will be built over a three-year period between 2008 and 2011 and they will be leased to a selected group of drivers in California and Japan for three years at $600 a month. The car is also the most expensive car ever produced: some estimates put the cost of this group of cars at $10 million each.

The first driver was handed FCX Clarity keys in California in June 2008 and the launch in Japan commenced some five months later. The American drivers all live in the Los Angeles area where 16 hydrogen filling stations are available. Their lease includes collision coverage, zero-cost maintenance and roadside assistance.

Sensational design

The FCX Clarity is an all-electric five door hatchback but its sensational exterior and interior design sets it apart from every other vehicle in this class. Its streamlined layout is made possible by its compact and efficient powertrain components. Their efficient operation and innovative design permit installation flexibility that dramatically increases the vehicle’s efficiency, contributing to the 30 percent increase in range over the previous model.

FCX Clarity is an electric car

The FCX Clarity is first and foremost an electric car. There are five components in the car’s powertrain. The hydrogen tank stores hydrogen; Honda’s V Flow fuel cell stack combines hydrogen with oxygen to make electricity. Each fuel cell is made up of a thin membrane wedged between two electrode layers in between two separators. Several hundred layers of these cells are connected in series.

A new compact, high-efficiency lithium-ion battery pack stores energy and is used as a supplemental power source capturing lost energy during deceleration and braking. The new battery is significantly lighter and smaller than the ultra-capacitor of the 2005 FCX, allowing it to be stowed under the rear seat. This gives the car more passenger and luggage space. A Power Drive Unit governs the electrical flow and the electric drive motor propels the vehicle. Water is the only byproduct the FCX Clarity leaves behind.

Since the first Honda fuel cell vehicle was unveiled in 1999, dramatic changes have taken place in rapid succession. The fuel cell stack in the 1999 vehicle, for example, was very large and bulky. By developing and working to perfect their own fuel cell stacks, Honda has made them significantly smaller and lighter. As a result, the design of the vehicle itself has also gone from tall and boxy to sleek and elegant with a roomy and comfortable cabin.

Futuristic instruments

Inside the vehicle, a multi-layered instrument panel and 3-D gauges relay required information. The futuristic hydrogen-consumption gauge changes colour and size to reflect hydrogen consumption as your driving conditions change. During high consumption the ball becomes large and amber coloured. As consumption decreases, it shrinks and turns yellow then blue.

A significant percentage of the seating material in the FCX Clarity is derived from plants to extend its environmental sensibility even further. The revolutionary Honda Bio-Fabric provides a CO2 reduction of 30 percent compared to conventional polyester made from petroleum products.

Excellent road performance

The FCX Clarity has a smooth and powerful electric engine for an enjoyable driving experience. The 0-60 time is around 10 seconds – excellent performance for a vehicle weighing 1.7 tonnes. The top speed is 100 mph. Gaseous hydrogen, as used by the FCX Clarity, is dispensed in kilograms. For comparison purposes, one kilogram is virtually the same as one gallon of petrol. The fill-up only takes a few minutes. The FCX Clarity achieves 60 miles per kilogram of hydrogen (61 mpg) and can travel up to 240 miles before refuelling.  Honda is also working on a programme to enable people to fill up with hydrogen domestically using a Home Energy Station..

Honda FCX Clarity awarded World Green Car 2009

The Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle was awarded 2009 World Green Car at a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show on April 9, 2009. The FCX Clarity rose above 22 contenders nominated by 59 World Car jurors from 25 countries worldwide. This prestigious award further recognizes Honda’s commitment to environmental leadership.

The big question...when?

When will Honda start volume production of a fuel-cell electric car?

Honda believes it could start mass producing vehicles based on the FCX Clarity by the year 2020. Since 1990, when Honda first showed a fuel-cell electric car, the company’s investment in new technology has revolutionised the size and efficiency of the component parts of the powertrain. These, in turn, have impacted on the space available for passengers and luggage, determining the size and shape of the car.

Honda will maintain its commitment to fuel cell technology with the overriding aim to bring its costs down to a level where the price of the car is affordable to a global marketplace. The company has diverted the 400 engineers from its abandoned Formula One programme to fuel-cell research, electric vehicles and advanced aerodynamics. The resulting pace of technological advance will ensure that in another decade the components of hydrogen fuel cell car powertrains will be more compact, lighter, more powerful and more efficient. The cars will have greater range, greater fuel economy and greater versatility.

The decade ahead

Over that period we will also see the development of an infrastructure – enabling drivers to fill up at strategically placed stations. The degree to which that infrastructure grows depends to a large extent on the policies adopted by central and local governments. As now, they will need to avoid dependence on imported oil with its fluctuating price and to support moves to low-carbon economies. They are therefore likely to encourage ownership of fuel cell cars with financial incentives (in the same way as they are supporting electric and plug-in hybrid car ownership) as fuel cell cars become more of a reality towards 2020.

Honda’s view is that fuel-cell vehicles are the most viable long-term solution and sees them running alongside electric vehicles and hybrids.