Road Test: Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Vehicle
Thursday November 29, 2007
Honda is a serious car company, in fact, they are serious about everything that they build--from lawnmowers to very light jets--so it's no surprise to us that they took on the project of building the world's first production hydrogen car with sober and earnest determination.Well, guess what? It paid off in spades. They scored not just a base hit, not even a two run homer--they knocked it outta the ballpark with a bases loaded Grand Slam. The 2009 Honda FCX Clarity is, from the ground up, a purpose built hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) and it's headed for the streets and highways of Southern California for its maiden public voyage this summer. A handful of fortunate Golden State residents will have the car for three year lease terms. Lucky buggers!
But just as lucky for the rest of us, Basem Wasef, our friend and colleague at About.com Motorcycles took the FCX Clarity out for a shakedown run of his own during a recent ride and drive event through gorgeous Malibu and Santa Monica, California. Check out Basem's Honda Clarity test driving impressions and review and get a peek at this beautiful and sophisticated FCEV in the Clarity photo gallery.
2009 Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Vehicle photo - © Basem Wasef
Comments
The hydrogen hoax. OK guys where and how are we going make all of the hydrogen required. Yes fuel cells are efficient but you have to have fuel like hydrogen in the first place. Seems like biofuel (diesel) hybrids are more practical or even electric cars. The University of New Hampshire did a study of Hydrogen vs other fuels and found that it only makes sense if you have a cheap electricity to make hydrogen and then you have to ask why not just use the electricity. The US has the largest reserves of coal in the world I think the pressure to use coal will over welm any hydrogen movement.
Kspike, thanks for the comment.
While we don’t agree with you, we certainly like to see opposing points of view. But really, a hoax? It’s hard to believe that companies like Honda, General Motors, BMW and Mazda would invest billions of dollars in R&D and production around an energy source that is not real. Yes, it seems like cheap and abundant hydrogen is a pipe dream now, but we assure you, solutions are coming, and they are coming fast. Realize that hydrogen is the most abundant element on earth and it can be extracted from many more compounds besides water, and they don’t all require copious amount of electricity to do so.
And all-electric drivetrains are also in full development, but those have their own limitations in the form of slow charging and quickly depleted batteries. As young and undeveloped as hydrogen propulsion is, the same can be said for battery electrics. In fact most pure electric vehicles have a very short 50ish mile range, which pales in comparison to better than 200 for a fuel cell electric.
And coal is, by far, the dirtiest fuel on the planet. Yes it is still very plentiful, and yes it can be cleaned-up–but the process to do that (coal gasification for example) is also expensive and energy intensive.
You see that there are no easy answers, and every technology has its own Achilles heel, but we still need to keep pressing forward with research and refinement. The cream will rise to the top, and in the end, if hydrogen (or any alternative fuel, for that matter) really is a hoax, it will be fully exposed.
Christine and Scott Gable
Your comment was kind of patronizing I am an electrical engineer. Why are GM , Toyota and others doing this? Several other possible reasons. One is the same reason they build concept cars to stretch the envelope. Remember turbine cars. GM and Chrysler built turbine cars. Did you ever see one marketed. Another is positive PR for both public and government consumption. Another reason is to improve complementary technology, i.e electric motors still needed for fuel cell vehicles. But producing enough hydrogen is a problem that won’t go away easily and to say that GM can do this is very naive. I wonder if tax credits are given to GM for these efforts. Sorry but I know that the government does support such R&D efforts in the tax code in my own field and my industry (aerospace).
http://kspike-usa.blogspot.com/2007/12/hydrogen-hoax-biodiesel-vs-hydrogen.html
“but we assure you, solutions are coming, and they are coming fast. Realize that hydrogen is the most abundant element on earth and it can be extracted from many more compounds besides water, and they don’t all require copious amount of electricity to do so.” Please give examples.
http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_biodiesel_vs_hydrogen.html
Thanks for writing back Kspike,
We certainly didn’t mean to offend or patronize you. You’re obviously an educated individual, and you make valid points. Our main point is that it’s easy to dismiss technology when it’s in its infancy, saying it’s too complicated … there isn’t enough of this or that. Continued R&D is a must and some ideas won’t pan out … but shouldn’t dismissal come from failed attempts, rather than theoretical objections?
Vehicles like the Chrysler turbines were built in very small numbers, for select public use. They were plagued with early problems and weren’t embraced … and they were dropped. A good idea, but the wrong time. The Honda FCX Clarity, Chevrolet Equinox FCEV and BMW Hydrogen 7 are, on the other hand, production level vehicles being put into the hands of real people … to drive … and to live with. And, with the explosive popularity of hybrids over the last few years, it seems to us like the general public is open to alternatives.
Our job here at Hybrid Cars and Alt Fuels is to educate and inform folks about all forms of alternative fuels and hybrid drivetrains. We really do endeavor to keep an open mind, and, as we state at the end of our initial comment, if any alternative fuel is really a hoax, it will fall by the wayside. We believe that there is no silver bullet solution; part of the problem that the world faces now has stemmed from relying almost exclusively on one source (petroleum) of energy. History has shown that we need to diversify our energy sources, so that we’re not pulling all of our eggs from one basket.
You asked about examples of other ways to make hydrogen. Check out this blog about other processes being developed to extract hydrogen from other compounds.
Thanks,
Christine & Scott