The Honda FCX Clarity will be the first fuel-cell vehicle available to a general retail customer.
With "green" being an ongoing theme at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, it was fitting that Honda would choose that venue to debut its all-new FCX Clarity. With styling very similar to the FCX concept car, the Clarity is a zero-emission electric vehicle powered by Honda's latest-generation hydrogen fuel-cell system.
Honda's recent advances in fuel-cell technology have made it possible to build a vehicle as sleek as the Clarity. Typically, fuel-cell vehicles need to be large in order to provide space for the hydrogen fuel tank as well as the fuel-cell stack. The stack produces electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen and then harnessing the chemical energy from the reaction.
Watch Video: Honda FCX Clarity at the LA Auto Show
Honda's new fuel-cell stack is 65-percent smaller than the previous version, yet produces more power. And although the FCX Clarity is brimming with advanced technology, one of the most noteworthy is the first commercial use of a highly efficient lithium-ion battery pack that stores excess energy from the fuel cell. The Clarity is also capable of operating in extremely warm and cold temperatures, a hurdle that many fuel-cell systems have yet to conquer.
Driving the Clarity
We had the opportunity to take a spin in this automotive harbinger following the LA Auto Show and came away impressed.
As if glimpsing a Honda Accord from 20 years hence, the Clarity is a sleek sedan with graceful lines. The interior matches the futuristic skin, and features eco-friendly materials and climate-controlled front seats, which is more efficient than using the car's air conditioning. The rear seats provide an impressive amount of legroom.
Turning the key and pressing the blue "Power"' button on the dash brings the car to life. Unique, three-dimensional gauges provide both hydrogen fuel levels as well as available charge left in the batteries. Like a hybrid, until you get rolling, no fuel is used — power arrives from the batteries, not the fuel cell. A ball in the middle of the round display changes color and size depending on the efficiency of your driving. The goal is to keep the circle small and blue. Large and amber means you're not driving very efficiently.
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While the Clarity runs on electricity, it is not silent. There were all sorts of noises emanating from the car: fans, the whine of the electric motor and something that sounded like flaps being extended on an airliner. Acceleration is similar to what you'd expect with a small, 4-cylinder engine, but the Clarity moves off the line much more smoothly. This is due to the flat torque curve of the electric motor as well as the continuously variable transmission. We didn't reach the claimed top speed of 100 mph, but the Clarity cruised along just fine at 70.
Steering feels a bit disconnected from the road, and the brakes are a bit grabby — not an uncommon trait with regenerative systems, which harness the energy from braking back into the batteries. The Clarity's handling is acceptable. I wouldn't call it sporty, but it's capable of emergency maneuvers without much drama. Ultimately, it drives like your basic Honda sedan.
Most surprising about our experience in the Clarity was that after several miles behind the wheel, you forget that it's powered by a fuel cell . Aside from the sounds it makes, it drives like a regular car. This is crucial if fuel-cell vehicles are to have a chance at becoming commonplace.
Honda claims the FCX Clarity is expected to achieve the equivalent of 68 mpg, with a range of 270 miles. We were able to achieve 59 miles per kilogram of hydrogen, which we're told is practically equivalent to miles per gallon. That's not bad for a combined city/highway drive and seems to support Honda's numbers.
Next summer Honda will make this advanced fuel-cell vehicle available to a limited number of retail customers in Southern California. Cars will be leased for three years at a cost of $600 per month, which includes maintenance and collision insurance. Honda would not divulge the actual cost of the Clarity, but it's safe to say that profit is likely not one of the goals of the FCX program.
Home Energy Station
One of the biggest hurdles to more widespread use of fuel-cell cars is the lack of infrastructure — there are very few places to fill a car with hydrogen. But Honda is working on a solution.
The fourth generation of the experimental Home Energy Station was on display at the LA show, and when it reaches production it will have the potential to change the way we live.
Hooked up to a home's natural gas line, the Home Energy Station would convert natural gas to hydrogen for filling a fuel-cell vehicle. The conversion process would also supply the home with heat and electricity, reducing energy costs both at home and on the road.
With the ability to create hydrogen anywhere there is a natural gas line, the question, "Where do I fill up my fuel-cell car?" will no longer be an issue. The future may be closer than we think.
