Honda Announces First Hydrogen Car For Commercial Production
Posted on: Monday, 16 June 2008, 13:53 CDT
Honda has become the first car manufacturer to rollout its line of zero-emission, hydrogen fuel-cell powered cars for commercial production.
The Japanese car manufacturer said its new FCX Clarity, which runs on electricity produced by combining hydrogen with oxygen, will offer three times the fuel efficiency than a gas-powered car.
The FCX Clarity is based on Honda’s first-generation hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX concept car. Honda created about 34 of the concept cars, of which 10 are still in use.
Honda plans to produce 200 of the cars over the next three years. The first five customers, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis, are all based in southern California, because of the proximity of hydrogen fueling stations .
This seemingly small production may be the result of the lack of hydrogen fueling stations as well as the argument from some critics who say that hydrogen is expensive to produce and the most common way to produce it is from fossil fuels.
Even environmental analysis has shown that he overall carbon dioxide emissions from hydrogen-powered cars can be higher than that from unleaded or diesel-powered vehicles.
The car will initially be available for lease rather than purchase in California, starting in July, and then in Japan later this year.
It is being built on the world's first dedicated production line for fuel-cell vehicles in Japan.
"This is an important day in the history of fuel-cell vehicle technology and a monumental step closer to the day when fuel-cell cars will be part of the mainstream," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda.
The cost of the car on a three-year lease will be $600 a month, Honda said.
Car manufacturers are being faced with increasing demand for more economical vehicles.
Toyota said it was struggling to keep up with demand because it was unable to make enough batteries for its hybrid Prius, which switches between fuel and electric motor.
"Hybrids are selling so well we are doing all we can to increase production," Toyota Motor Corp’s executive vice president, Takeshi Uchiyamada said. "We need new lines."
Source www.redorbit.com/news/tech...roduction/
Only 200 ?
Posted on: Monday, 16 June 2008, 13:53 CDT
Honda has become the first car manufacturer to rollout its line of zero-emission, hydrogen fuel-cell powered cars for commercial production.
The Japanese car manufacturer said its new FCX Clarity, which runs on electricity produced by combining hydrogen with oxygen, will offer three times the fuel efficiency than a gas-powered car.
The FCX Clarity is based on Honda’s first-generation hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX concept car. Honda created about 34 of the concept cars, of which 10 are still in use.
Honda plans to produce 200 of the cars over the next three years. The first five customers, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis, are all based in southern California, because of the proximity of hydrogen fueling stations .
This seemingly small production may be the result of the lack of hydrogen fueling stations as well as the argument from some critics who say that hydrogen is expensive to produce and the most common way to produce it is from fossil fuels.
Even environmental analysis has shown that he overall carbon dioxide emissions from hydrogen-powered cars can be higher than that from unleaded or diesel-powered vehicles.
The car will initially be available for lease rather than purchase in California, starting in July, and then in Japan later this year.
It is being built on the world's first dedicated production line for fuel-cell vehicles in Japan.
"This is an important day in the history of fuel-cell vehicle technology and a monumental step closer to the day when fuel-cell cars will be part of the mainstream," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda.
The cost of the car on a three-year lease will be $600 a month, Honda said.
Car manufacturers are being faced with increasing demand for more economical vehicles.
Toyota said it was struggling to keep up with demand because it was unable to make enough batteries for its hybrid Prius, which switches between fuel and electric motor.
"Hybrids are selling so well we are doing all we can to increase production," Toyota Motor Corp’s executive vice president, Takeshi Uchiyamada said. "We need new lines."
Source www.redorbit.com/news/tech...roduction/
Only 200 ?
posted by:
|
Melbourne
|
-
Re: Honda Announces First Hydrogen Car For Commercial Production
Fri, June 20, 2008 - 6:12 PMsounds great till you read that the cheapest way to make hydrogen is from fossil fuels.... why?? Cant you get hydrogen from water? Arent there cars in the pipeline that can be run off water.... i just did a google search 'cars run on water' and there seems to be a million hits... some seem like a scam... but some seem legitimate.... i have no idea and that's the problem... but im sure there is a simple solution... -
-
Re: Honda Announces First Hydrogen Car For Commercial Production
Sat, June 21, 2008 - 2:41 AMHere's one perspective on the continued interest in H2 fuel cell vehicles:
gristmill.grist.org/story/20...5524/3143
I also find it noteworthy that GWB invested a very significant amount of money in H2 technology back in about year 2000. To do so, money was pulled from several more near-term emissions reducing technologies. Great way to look green without actually having to really change anything.
Here is my armchair transportation policy:
Run airplanes, trucks, and about half of the urban passenger and commercial vehicles on 2nd
generation biofuels, using the most efficient engine technologies such as common rail turbo-Diesel, and hybrid drive-trains where it makes sense. Go electric with the rest (or "almost all electric" hybrids running a small ICE on longer trips in the sweet spot), combined with low CO2 electricity (needs to be about natural gas level or lower).
Eh, but then, why should we do something sensible like that when we can run our cars on water?
Evatt -
-
Re: Honda Announces First Hydrogen Car For Commercial Production
Sat, June 21, 2008 - 7:37 PMYou would hope one day that industry would just stop bullshitting to consumers... but it seems that we buy into it so would they? www.bandt.com.au/news/81/0c051c81.asp (Greenwash)
I think your reference to second generation biofuels is really important.... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seco...n_biofuels
First generation biofuels have already had a huge impact, using land previously used to grow food, resulting in food shortages. As well as the vast clearing of rainforest to grow biofuels (and palm sugar).
Im actually thinking of buying a diesel car to convert to bio-fuel (mmm fish n chips)
Water I wouldnt suggest we should use, given its a limited resource these days....
-
-
Re: Honda Announces First Hydrogen Car For Commercial Production
Sun, June 22, 2008 - 12:02 AMThanks for those links guys !!!!
-
-
-
