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2009 Honda FCX Clarity Road Test

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2007 Honda FCX Clarity

 

 

For a moment, after pressing the little red “Start” button, it seems like nothing has happened. Suddenly, a kaleidoscope of colors erupts from the multi-level instrument panel, followed by the soft whine of a compressor. Honda’s new FCX fuel-cell vehicle has come to life.

 

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As regular readers of TheCarConnection.com are well aware, virtually every automaker is tinkering with hydrogen technology, and for good reason. Whether you burn the lightweight gas in an internal combustion engine or feed it into a fuel cell stack, what you get on the “dirty side” is effectively no more than water vapor. In a world worrying about smog and global warming, hydrogen is seen, by many, as the ultimate clean fuel.

 

In recent months, we’ve had the opportunity to test a variety of hydrogen-powered prototypes, such as the Chevrolet Equinox fuel-cell vehicle and BMW’s Hydrogen-7, which goes the internal combustion route. But Honda’s FCX takes the technology to an entirely new level.

 

First seen at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda plans to begin leasing the FCX for $600 a month, and not just to carefully selected corporate fleets, but to everyday consumers. The costly experiment is also a risky one, exposing the Clarity to all the daily challenges faced by your typical motorist, from bad weather to fussy infants.

 

“The FCX Clarity is a shining symbol of the progress we've made with fuel cell vehicles and of our belief in the promise of this technology,” proclaims American Honda president and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura. “Step by step, with continuous effort, commitment and focus, we are working to overcome obstacles to the mass-market potential of zero-emissions hydrogen fuel-cell automobiles.”






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Comments (13)

  1. By Sheldon Rabin Posted: 6/20/2008 3:53pm PDT

    "Mr."

    How "well" does the Clarity do in the desert; F>120 deg. daytime?
     
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  2. By  Angel Eliza Posted: 6/22/2008 1:04am PDT

    "About Time"

    As a Minister, I've been saying we needed this push to Hydrogen for years. Stewardship of the Earth is prominent in our philosophy. Now they need to make this available to the rest of the country.
    In addition, we need to support other routes of fueling. For instance, The extra power generated by personal Photovoltaic electricity or wind power stations should be used Localy to fuel vehicles Localy. The stumbling block so far has been safe home storage of the Hydrogen until needed to run a home fuel cell, and now a vehicle.
    I would like to see the technology extend to trucks, which are a mainstay of rural farm life. We have been left out of this fuel race. If the car companies do not do this soon, they may find we did it on our own as individuals. Transforming one of these Clarities into a truck chasis, after they start selling instead of leaseing, would be a small jump for a farmer. This is just a heads up for them to do it before we do.
     
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  3. By Geoffrey Posted: 7/5/2008 4:32pm PDT

    "Hydrogen"

    Hydrogen does not occur naturally anywhere on earth. It has be be manufactured, and then transported. Until there is widespread and economical electrolysis technology affordable to the general public (this is a good 50 years off) then the Clarity unfortunately simply shifts the source of the pollution from the tail pipe to the powerplant smokestack which runs the hydrogen plant.
     
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  4. By sammy Posted: 7/26/2008 9:40pm PDT

    "agree with Geoffrey"

    People don't seem to realize that hydrogen cells aren't the answer we're looking for in terms of pollution. Like he said it's just shifting the source of emissions. Now if we could get nuclear plants that power the electrolysis process, that would be different, probably help end our dependence on foreign oil.
     
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  5. By Rich Posted: 7/29/2008 5:55am PDT

    "Hydrogen manufactured?"

    I'm not sure how anyone can say that Hydrogen is manufactured or doesn't occur naturally anywhere on earth... It is an element - in fact it is the very first element on the periodic table. It is not manufactured because you cannot "create" an atom. It is simply the combination of a proton and an electron. There are two of them for every molecule of water on earth.
    Yes, you need electricity to power the electrolysis process and separate it from oxygen, but there are eco-friendly ways to do that as well. When I was in the navy, one of the things we did was electrolyzed the water, breathed the oxygen, and pumped the hydrogen overboard. That's how you sustain life in a submarine.
    I very much want one of these cars, but not before the infrastructure is in place to refuel them readily. I look forward to seeing this technology grow.
     
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  6. By  Paul H. Posted: 10/30/2008 4:39am PDT

    "Mr"

    I have been watching the development of the fuel-cell for many years and have been looking forward to the first mass-production road-vehicle for some time now. I believe in the hydrogen revolution and hope that eventually it will kill off all fossil-fuelled motive power to the great benefit of all.
    I see no reason why hydrogen can not be manufactured using renewable technologies from start to finish if the desire is actually there to do this.
    Might I suggest that wherever the sun shines on the world near any body of water both of these elements can be harnessed to make electricity using photo-voltaic cells. Once there is an endless supply of electricity produced by this system the separation of oxygen and hydrogen using electrolysis would be a relatively inexpensive process.
    The major problem with delivering hydrogen to the masses is in its conversion to liquid and its transportation via tankers and pipelines. Pipelines in particular have a problem with the very small molecular size of hydrogen leaking out at joints. While this is not an insurmountable problem - as even now I believe that new types of pipe-jointing gaskets are being produced to cut down or eliminate this loss - I still see that there is more going for the hydrogen future than there is against it.
    This technology cannot come fast enough for me as I hope that this will be the saviour of the world in the long-term.
    Regards.....
    Paul..... From Scotland.
     
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  7. By patrick Posted: 12/14/2008 11:02pm PST

    "mr"

    The need to create a massive hydrogen infrastructure is a non-sequiter as an obstacle to the change to a hydrogen economy and away from fossil fuels.
    It stems from thinking brought about by the current need to transport oil from point of origin e.g. the Middle East, to point of use e.g the US and everywhere else.
    Hydrogen exists everywhere, therefore, no transportation is needed. Infrastructure can be local. E.g. home hydrogen manufacturing is currently being pioneered by Honda.
    Hydrogen car service stations could, therefore, manufacture hydrogen on their own premises and supply it, from the same premises, to the consumer.
     
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  8. By Mark Griffin Posted: 4/29/2009 9:26am PDT

    "Mr"

    I really do believe that this Hydrogen fuel cell alternate to fossill fuels is the messiah for all modes of transportation. I am only Sixteen Years old but i can already see the value which this will have for generations, but mass production needs to begin.Honda need to preach this technology to all car manufacturers and forget about rights and patents. The future of our lives is depending on this small bit of engineering brilliance. There is hope still for us all..the time of endless killing and violence for oil and fossill fuels is over my friends...Honda have indeed changed the world
     
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  9. By Thom Posted: 6/11/2009 2:23pm PDT

    I would love to try getting a home Hydrogen compressor and using either Welding supply hydrogen or one from a commercial vendor. That would make for a great bridge for the infrastructure.
     
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  10. By Galen Posted: 8/11/2009 11:44am PDT

    Anyone who understands chemistry knows the "manufacturing" of hydrogen will not lead to shifting the paradigm of pollution. Hydrogen is produced cleanly and efficiently with very little or no power. How do you think submarines keep their bubble?
     
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  11. By  Powell Posted: 8/18/2009 11:22am PDT

    There is hydrogen infrastructure in the US and other countries today. It is used for industrial and chemical plants. Companies like Linde and Praxair have pipelines in different parts of the country that could easily be tapped into and have filling stations along the pipeline. Of course, this is black hydrogen. (made from fossil fuels) but it is a good bridge until we can produce green hydrogen from sources like wind, solar and geothermal. If you look on the Honda Clarity website, you'll see that they are also experimenting with a Home Energy Station for fueling your car at home and providing heating and AC with the same device. Another alternative method of transporting the energy from hydrogen is to manufacture the hydrogen at a centralized facility and transform it into methanol for transport. Methanol can be transported in existing gas pipelines and tanker trucks and can be stored in underground gas tanks without modification. Existing gasoline vehicles can run methanol with little modification. I've heard that it may work well in Flexfuel vehicles since the hoses are already fluoro-elastomer. Bottom line is that there are several ways to get hydrogen fueling infrastructure in place way before 50 years. If we were committed to it as a "Manhattan Project" we could get it done in the next 10 years.
     
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  12. fb_595747187 avatar Leslie Landberg Posted: 1/13/2010 11:02pm PST

    I am under the impression that hydrogen on demand technology has been in place since the mid-1930's, developed first for use in welding and employed widely in 3rd world countries as a cheap source of fuel for vehicles. This is on-line hydroliysis, utilizing a "tank" of perhaps one litre of water, obviating the necessity of a fuel cell or hydrogen tank or the need to create fueling stations or pipelines. Anyone else familiar with this? It is referred to in scientific literature as "brown's gas".
    Cheers!
    Leslie
     
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  13. By Jerry Cheesman Posted: 1/20/2010 6:20pm PST

    It is a happy day to see any fuel cell powered car come to mass market. Perhaps chemical storage of hydrogen as a solid to be catalytically released into a small fuel cell as it is needed will be another breakthrough we can look forward to soon. I am hopeful I can be fortunate enough to be involved in this area soon.
    JerryCheesman@yahoo.com
     
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