Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Powers Japanese House For Six Days

While many new plug-ins boast the convenience and simplicity of recharging the car battery from a household wall socket, how many vehicles can claim to provide the opposite?

Honda has installed an inverter in the trunk of one special FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, providing output power that could supply up to 8 kilowatts of electricity for more than seven hours from a full tank of hydrogen — a figure that is supposedly enough to power the average Japanese home for six days. This particular FCX has been delivered to the Saitama Prefecture government, which was also an early-adopter of a solar-powered hydrogen station.

Concerns over power shortages have heightened since last year’s natural disaster and the subsequent nuclear plant shutdown, causing a spike in interest for electric vehicles that may double as emergency power suppliers for homes. Last year, Nissan demonstrated its Leaf-to-Home, which claimed the power output could generate enough to sustain an average household for two days. Unlike fuel cells, an electric battery can only store electricity rather than generate it, resulting in a less flexible application when compared to fuel-cell technology.

Source;
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/03/honda-fcx-clarity-fuel-cell-powers-japanese-house-for-six-days.html

Honda Introduces Solar Hydrogen Station on Saitama Prefectural Office Grounds

FCX Clarity Used in Electric Vehicle Testing Program to Serve as Mobile Electric Generator

TOKYO, Japan, March 27, 2012 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. unveiled a Solar Hydrogen Station on the grounds of the Saitama Prefectural Office. The initiative is part of the Electric Vehicle Testing Program for Honda’s next-generation personal mobility products with Saitama Prefecture, in which Honda, Iwatani and Saitama Prefecture collaborate to build. In a further initiative, Honda has equipped the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle with an outlet to function as a 9kW power source. Since the FCX Clarity uses a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to produce power with zero CO2 emissions, with its new outlet, the vehicle will be able to serve as a zero-emission mobile electric generator.

This is the first installation in Japan of a total system to produce, store and dispense hydrogen with ZERO CO2 emissions. A high pressure water electrolysis system, uniquely developed by Honda, produces hydrogen. With no mechanical compressor, the system is nearly silent and highly energy efficient. Using Solar and grid power, the system is capable of producing 1.5kg of hydrogen within 24 hours which enables an FCX Clarity to run approximately 150km or 90 miles. Honda aims to further develop the system to offer clean energy sources for the home in the future.

Source;

http://world.honda.com/news/2012/4120327Solar-Hydrogen-Station/index.html

First Drive: Honda hosts at Research and Developement centre

By Richard Russell
MOTEGI, Japan – For a company with a reputation for innovation and engineering, Honda has been surprisingly quiet on those fronts in recent years. No new engines, transmissions, hybrid, electric or plug-in systems in an era when everyone else in the industry is rushing them into production.

In what could be called a comeback or a reaffirmation of what put the company on the map, Honda is about to unveil a steady stream of new innovations that will find their way into everything the company builds, from lawn mowers and leaf blowers to motorcycles and cars of all sizes and stripes.

As if apologizing for its recent lack of news on these fronts, Honda hosted media from around the globe at its R & D Center here. We were exposed to a dizzying array of new products and ideas, most of which will find their way into your local Honda store in the next couple of years.
We drove a variety of new and future vehicles powered by a completely new family of four and six cylinder engines. We tried several new transmissions, a truly innovative all-wheel-drive system, various hybrids, including one without a transmission, pure electric vehicles and a sleek sedan powered by a fuel cell.

Honda is back
On the engine front, look for a unique combination of variable valve-timing, twin camshafts and direct injection that allow engines to run on the fuel-savings Atkinson Cycle without the loss of power or torque previously associated with that method. These include a quartet of new four-cylinder gasoline engines ranging in displacement from 1.0 to 2.4 –litres and a new 3.5-litre V6. The new 2.4-litre will first appear in the next Accord, late in 2012 and perhaps the new CR-V shortly afterwards.

We drove vehicles powered by a new 148-horsepower, 1.8-litre four that would be right at home in a mid-cycle version of the new Civic being readied for the 2012 model year and a 127-horsepower, 1.5-litre four destined for the Fit. In all cases these preliminary power figures are on the conservative side but considerably higher than current engines of similar displacement, while consuming 10 per cent less fuel.

We also sampled a Civic powered by a potent little 1.6-litre turbo diesel. Bring it on!
Honda R&D has come up with a trio of new CVT (Continuously Variable Transmissions) for small and mid-sized cars. Development has led to less of the “motor-boating” and “rubber-band” effects associated with CVT transmissions. Driven under normal conditions they feel like a normal stepped automatic, only when pressed hard on the track did they assume the CVT propensity to sound like a clutch was slipping.

It has also developed a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox.

Under the “Earth Dreams” banner, all of these engines and transmission will appear in stand-alone or hybrid applications across a wide range of vehicles of all sizes and shapes in the next two years.

Honda has developed the world’s most efficient two-motor hybrid system, one that allows a big family-size car to operate without a transmission with a resultant savings in space and cost.
It also turned us loose on the big oval of the adjacent Twin-Ring Motegi race track in an Accord-size sedan equipped with the new V6 sending 310 horsepower and 265 lb. ft. of torque to the front wheels and a pair of electric motors powering the rear wheels. In addition to the abundance of instant torque when accelerating the innovation meter was pegged by the fact the motors were programmed to send more power to the outside wheel in a corner and reduced power to the inside wheel.

Needless to say performance was more than impressive on the straights or in the turns. Look for this combination in a forthcoming replacement for the big RL sedan and a rumored replacement for the NSX sports car.

Honda opens first UK hydrogen filling station

Awesome!
Honda has opened the first open access refuelling site for hydrogen powered vehicles at it’s manufacturing facility in Swindon. It’s open to anyone developing or using hydrogen powered vehicles, and will fill to 350 and 700 bar, the two standard filling pressures adopted by major manufacturers.

The aim behind the site is to encourage the development of hydrogen powered vehicles, including Honda’s own FCX Clarity. Hydrogen powered vehicles offer the same benefits as electric vehicles but with the advantages of improved range and no slow recharge time.

Thomas Brachmann, Head of Electrical Powertrain R&D at Honda, commented: “Hydrogen fuel cell technology is the ultimate transport solution; meeting environmental demands but also delivering the range and performance that customers expect.

“The cooperation on this project between vehicle manufacturers like Honda, infrastructure providers like BOC and the public sector can be a blueprint for future development.”

Source;
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/green-motoring/2011-09/honda-opens-first-uk-hydrogen-filling-station/

Honda FCX Clarity heads Glasgow hydrogen conference

Fresh from its appearance at Ecovelocity last week, the FCX Clarity is now making a star appearance in Scotland, appearing at the World Hydrogen Technologies Conference in Glasgow.

One of only a handful of series production hydrogen fuel cars in the world, the Honda-made car became the very first such car to enter production back in 2008. Currently available on a limited lease programme in the US and Japan, the car will now appear in Glasgow between September 14 and 18th, as the conference explores the future of a hydrogen economy.

Welcoming more than 150 leading hydrogen experts from around the world, the conference’s major theme this year is ‘Renewables to Hydrogen’ exploring the opportunities to create a clean, sustainable hydrogen economy from the many forms of available renewable energy. This is particularly relevant to Scotland and to the UK, given the substantial wind, wave and tidal resources available.

The conference was opened by Fergus Ewing, Scotland’s Minister of Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, (pictured) who fully endorsed the drive to renewable energy and cleaner fuels.

The Honda FCX Clarity works like an electric car with hydrogen creating the electric on-board through a ‘fuel cell stack’. The stack creates electricity from a reaction between hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen. This reaction produces only one emission; pure water which comes out of the tailpipe in the form of vapour. If hydrogen can be produced for commercial use from clean sources such as wind power then cars such as the Honda FCX Clarity can truly become zero harmful emissions.

Hydrogen cars depend on a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure however, currently absent in the UK. In response to this, Honda, in cooperation with BOC and Forward Swindon- are launching the UK’s first public hydrogen refuelling station, just off the M4, at Honda’s Swindon car plant, on September 20.

Source;
http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2011/09/15/honda-fcx-clarity-heads-glasgow-hydrogen-conference/

First Glimpse of the 2012 Euro Honda Civic Backend

First glimpse of The New Honda Civic -

Honda line-up at the 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show



The new Honda Civic will be launched at the 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Developed specifically for the European market, the new Civic will be offered exclusively as a five-door hatchback and will compete in the C-segment. It will reach European showrooms in early 2012.



The refreshed design of the new Civic features a rear combination light that works as a spoiler. The aerodynamic design of the spoiler manages the air flowing over the top and the sides of the car; this is just one example of how the new Civic has been refined.



Nearly all the body components have been redesigned with particular focus on ride and handling, reduced CO2 emissions, interior quality, while preserving the class-leading cabin and boot space and flexible practicality.



Find out more by watching the short film releases detailing the car's development. The films are hosted on an interactive media player you can easily download films and images or even embed the whole player in your site. http://multivu.com/players/English/51356-honda-motor-europe/



Another highlight will be the 2012 model year of the Honda Insight, which has received a facelift - more information about this model will be provided in due course.

The exhibition of cars will be completed by the display of the CR-Z, the CR-V, the Jazz and the Accord.



In addition, Honda will show a selection of its latest motorcycle and power equipment products.



The future according to Honda will be portrayed by showing the Honda EV Concept and the EV-Neo - Honda's electric vehicles on four and two wheels, as well as the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle and the Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle platform display.



Source;

http://www.hondanews.eu/en/news/index.pmode/modul,detail,0,1951-DEFAULT,21,text,1/index.pmode

Honda FCX Clarity debuts in UK at the EcoVelocity Show

by Abhishek Chaliha

The hydrogen powered next generation Honda FCX Clarity has been around for a couple of years now and it makes electric cars look like dinosaurs. Read on to know more about the vehicle that is undoubtedly the future of motoring

Honda’s advanced FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car is the world’s first production fuel cell car. This zero emissions vehicle is as practical and convenient as a fossil fuel powered car. The car runs on hydrogen and the only end product is water. But unlike electric cars that have a confined driving range limited by the battery and take an eternity to charge the FCX Clarity can be refuelled at a hydrogen filling station just the way a gasoline powered car is refuelled, it takes about the same time to fill up its hydrogen tank as it takes to fill up a normal fuel tank.



The vehicle is based on an entirely new fuel cell platform called Honda V Flow which is powered by an efficient, highly compact and powerful Honda V Flow fuel cell stack. This new fuel cell stack by Honda featured huge improvements over weight, efficiency, driving range and power over that of other fuel cell stacks. The new fuel cell stack and hydrogen motor have overcome all the drawbacks of a traditional hydrogen vehicle, which means that the FCX Clarity looks like a normal car with none of the drawbacks of a car that uses alternative sources of fuel. With the FCX Clarity Honda have proved the real world performance and appeal of a hydrogen powered car can be the same as that of a traditional car powered by fossil fuel. The Honda FCX Clarity has a range of 432 kilometres on a single tank of fuel.

The reason for the failure of electric cars and hybrids is because they fail to meet the real world practicality and performance of a gasoline powered car. Electric cars have a terrible driving range and have poor cabin space because of all the batteries packed in here and there. Hybrids prove no point at all as there are small diesel cars that are more economical. The ride, handling and performance of these vehicles are not at all good due to heavy batteries and uneven weight distribution.

The Honda FCX Clarity has none of those drawbacks. The hydrogen motor upfront has only one moving part so reliability will be very good. The performance of the vehicle is at par with other four door family sedans of its size. In short the FCX Clarity will do to the gasoline powered family car what it has been doing to electric cars, it renders the other completely useless.

The FCX Clarity uses compressed hydrogen from its hydrogen tank and combines atmospheric oxygen in the fuel stack where energy from the reaction is converted into electricity to power the electric motor which drives the wheels of the car. The main components of the car include an electric motor, hydrogen tank, fuel cell stack and a battery pack. All the components have been made compact and distributed throughout the vehicle for optimising space, comfort and drive dynamics.

As with any invention initially the cost of the product is high. But given a mass production of these vehicles the FCX Clarity will cost the same as a normal four door family sedan to buy and maintain. Hydrogen is one of the most abundant substances in the atmosphere but it is very complex and expensive to extract from the atmosphere and store. Once technology develops and can extract and store hydrogen on a large scale there will be no looking back, hydrogen is the fuel of the future. As of now it is only limited by technology.



The Honda FCX Clarity was made available to the public on lease for a fixed amount of time in the United States of America and Japan, so that customers could experience the car over a period of time. Elsewhere in the world it did not make its presence felt primarily due to the lack of hydrogen filling stations. Between the 8th and 11th of September 2011 it will make its UK debut in the low carbon motor festival called the EcoVelocity Show. Alongside the FCX Clarity will be Honda’s range of eco-friendly hybrid cars, the Jazz Hybrid, CR-Z and the Insight. Visitors will get a chance to test drive these cars on a ‘just turn up’ basis. The EcoVelocity Show held at Battersea Power Station will showcase to prospective buyers the latest in eco-friendly automobile technology.

Source;

http://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/news/honda-fcx-clarity-debuts-in-uk-at-the-ecovelocity-show/9401/2

Honda FCX Clarity fuel-cell car shown off

Honda has announced that it will be showing off what it claims is the world's first production fuel-cell car, the FCX Clarity, at the EcoVelocity show next month.



The FCX Clarity is designed to use hydrogen fuel cells as its power source, offering far greater performance than a traditional all-electric vehicle while maintaining the same zero harmful emission baseline.



While fuel-cell cars are nothing new, they've never made it to a production model before - and Honda claims that's exactly what it will be showing off at the EcoVelocity event, held between the 8th and the 11th of September at the Battersea Power Station.



The company is keeping full details of the Clarity's specifications under wraps until the show starts, but has explained that the vehicle offers an impressive 270-mile range per fill, is capable of topping up its hydrogen reserves as easily as a petrol or diesel car can refuel, and has water vapour as its only emission.



It's also keen to point out that the Clarity isn't an experiment, or a concept car, but a fully-certified road-legal vehicle built at the same factory as Honda's other models..



The company will also be showing off a redesigned five-door Insight, the CR-Z sporty hybrid, and a hybrid edition of the popular Jazz that extends its fuel economy to an impressive 64.2mpg - a 23 per cent improvement over the standard Jazz edition.



Author: Gareth Halfacree



Source;

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/car-tech/1286842/honda-fcx-clarity-fuel-cell-car-shown-off

Daimler and Honda most likely for fuel cells

Boulder, Colorado – Daimler and Honda are most likely to bring light-duty fuel cell vehicles (FCV) to market, according to a new report by Pike Research. The study found that several of the major global automakers have aggressive programs to develop a commercial FCV as part of their suite of sustainable vehicles, while others have pulled back and a few new players have entered the arena.



“Automakers will continue to refine their products between now and the 2014/2015 deadline for commercial launch,” said senior analyst Lisa Jerram. “In order to meet this target, the OEMs must continue to test and refine their fuel cell systems as well as the vehicle integration and optimization. They will also be focused on driving down vehicle costs.”



Jerram said that Daimler attained the highest overall score in the report as it has laid out a clear path to producing a commercially viable FCV. Other contributing factors include its strong relationships with infrastructure and government partners, and its recent announcement to partner with Linde on infrastructure development, but it has made ambitious announcements on fuel cell technology readiness in the past that did not come to fruition.



Honda is the runner-up in the study based on the high-quality execution of its Clarity FCV, its efforts to lay the groundwork for a commercial launch and its continued public commitment to FCV commercialization, although Pike noted the Clarity’s slow rollout.



Source;

http://www.autos.ca/general-news/daimler-and-honda-most-likely-for-fuel-cells