According to a Bloomberg article Honda Motor Co., plans to start, within two years, leasing a limited number of fuel cell powered cars based on its new FCX concept, shown left, in California, taking advantage of the state's plans for a hydrogen-fuel network. Marketing will gradually expand from California to other major U.S. markets.
The new FCX sedan has a top speed of 100 miles an hour and can travel as far as 270 miles when fully fueled, 30 percent farther than the previous FCX. The fuel-cell stack is 40 percent smaller than in the previous version and increases the electrical output to 100 kilowatts from 86 kilowatts, said Yozo Kami, executive chief engineer for Tokyo-based Honda's FCX program.
"We're going to show this isn't `Buck Rogers' stuff, that there's a near-term role'' for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, said U.S. sales chief John Mendel. "It will be positioned as the environmental badge of honor for our customers'' he said.
California is developing a Hydrogen Highway Network to serve fuel-cell vehicles, expanding the number of hydrogen stations from 23 now to more than 100 statewide in the next few years.
General Motors Corp. in September said (previous post) it planned to build 100 fuel-cell vehicles for U.S. customers next year as part of a program to sell 1,000 such vehicles by 2010.
"The market's not going to be ready for a very long time,'' said analyst Phil Gott. "Within five years, we're still talking about sales in the hundreds annually, not hundreds of thousands.''
According to a Sept. 25 press release:
To meet Honda objectives for significant gains in both environmental and driving performance, the FCX Concept is equipped with a V Flow fuel cell platform consisting of a compact, high-efficiency fuel cell stack arranged in an innovative center-tunnel layout. This has allowed designers to create an elegant, low-riding, sedan form that would have been difficult to achieve in a conventional fuel cell vehicle. This new fuel cell stack is 20 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than the current (2005) FCX FC Stack, yet its power output is 14kW greater. The drive motor has been positioned coaxially with the gearbox for a more compact design, with output increased by 15kW. Overall, the power plant is about 180kg lighter than that of the current FCX and about 40 percent smaller in volume. The result is improved energy efficiency and performance along with a more spacious interior.
While with previous fuel cell stacks the hydrogen and the water formed in electricity generation flowed horizontally, the new FCX Concept features vertical-flow design. This allows gravity to assist in discharging the water that is produced, resulting in a major improvement in water drainage, key to high-efficiency fuel stack performance. The result is stable power generation under a broad range of conditions, and higher output from a smaller package. Low-temperature startup has also been significantly improved, enabling cold-weather starts at temperatures 10oC lower than the current FCX -- as low as minus 30oC.
As an auxiliary power source, the FCX Concept carries a compact, high-efficiency lithium ion battery, contributing to increased power output and a more compact power plant. These efficiency improvements to major power plant components give the vehicle a travel range approximately 30 percent greater than the current FCX. The vehicle is also highly efficient, with an energy efficiency of around 60 percent -- approximately three times that of a gasoline-engine vehicle, twice that of a hybrid vehicle, and 10 percent better than the current FCX.
Other features include seat upholstery and door linings made from Honda Bio Fabric, a plant-based material that offers outstanding durability and resistance to sunlight damage. Other improvements such as Shift-by-Wire and a newly designed instrument panel with easy-to-read display of hydrogen fuel consumption facilitate improved ease of operation.
The new fuel cell vehicle currently under development for release in 2008, will feature the principle technologies of the FCX Concept to achieve a new dimension in environmentally friendly driving pleasure not found with gasoline-engine vehicles.
FCX concept specifications:
| Number of passengers | 4 | |
| Motor | Max. Output | 95kW (129PS) |
| Max. Torque | 256N . m (26.1kg . m) | |
| Type | AC synchronous motor (Honda mfg.) | |
| Fuel Cell Stack | Type | PEFC(proton exchange membrane fuel cell, Honda mfg.) |
| Output | 100kW | |
| Fuel | Type | Compressed hydrogen |
| Storage | High-pressure hydrogen tank (350atm) | |
| Tank Capacity | 171l | |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 4,760 x 1,865 x 1,445mm | |
| Max. Speed | 160km/h | |
| Energy Storage | Lithium Ion Battery | |
| Vehicle Range | 570km | |
Regardless about how you feel about the chances of the hydrogen economy coming about, this is some really great engineering and styling. The remaining obstacles would have to be price and fuel availability.
Anyone know how the car uses lithium ion batteries to improve performance?
Stephen
Posted by: Stephen | November 19, 2006 at 11:05 AM
Keeping the same electrical drive but increasing the size and efficiency of the on board battery pack (with Altair quick charge or equivalent units) and possibly downsizing the fuel cell and hydrogen storage tank would make this an ideal dual energy mainly electric car.
The larger quick charge battery pack would recuperate more breaking-decelleration energy and supply the energy boost required for take off and passing + home based easy and cheap battery recharge.
The fuel cell would in fact replace the on board ICE genset and serve as an optional range extender.
Buyers should have the choice between a much lower cost ICE gentset or the Fuel Cell.
Posted by: Harvey D. | November 19, 2006 at 03:04 PM
Lease-only, not available for purchase. Have to wonder how much it costs to make...
A 270 mile range is just a bit better than the Tesla roadster's 250 miles, but the FCX has to have a hydrogen station at the other end; the Tesla can snag a charge anywhere there's a plug. That already covers most of the USA.
Hydrogen is dead, but people keep trying to reanimate the corpse.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | November 19, 2006 at 04:42 PM
Hydrogen is a non-starter unless we perfect gathering the fuel from pond scum. Don't think this could work in winter in my part of the world anyway. Why waste half of the electricity produced to make hyddrogen which then needs to be distributed. Then we lose more getting back to electricity. Get the storage systems then use electricity directly.
I know this is destructive technology with all the IC repairmen, fuel cell parts and repair guys (if there will ever be any), on welfare and of course all that complexity out the window. We can even plug in our owon caars instead of freezing the gas (hydrogen)jockeys in the winter.
Checkk out GM with its purported plug in 100 k hybrid. Smart plug in electric now in England...change or be dodo birded.
Posted by: ron mccurdy | November 19, 2006 at 09:18 PM
Maybe this vehicle just a way to road test the components of the electric drive system until better batteries are available at a lower cost.
Frankly, I'm happy to see car companies working on these fuel cell vehicles. As many have pointed out, the voltage to run the car can come from anything, not just a fuel cell. It will make a good platform for battery-only operation or any sort of serial hybrid.
There's a lot more to an all-new electric car design than just the voltage source. Fuel cell research vehicles are a step in the right direction, even if hydrogen fuel cells are not.
Posted by: Jeff Becker | November 19, 2006 at 11:17 PM
It is pretty sad when the world leader in ICE generators invests in pie-in-the-sky hydrogen istead of solid oxide fuel cell/turbine backup generators for electric cars. The first time a multimillion dollar hydrogen fueling station blows up that will be the end of hydrogen in cars.
Uninsurable risk, just like the nuke plants they want to use to make the hydrogen.
Maybe they have another program they are keeping under wraps? I wonder if Honda hired execs away from Detroit? That might explain this very bad strategy.
Come on Honda, get with the right technology!
Posted by: amazingdrx | November 20, 2006 at 11:36 AM
Honda is simply keeping its options open and can afford to continue multiple developmental paths. Just remember, a fuel cell car is an electric car. Replace the fuel cell and tank with batteries and there you have an electric car. Actually, I've read that Honda's fuel cell vehicle is actually nothing more than a
re-outfitted EV from 1997.
Posted by: kent beuchert | November 20, 2006 at 11:48 AM
Well that's my hope Kent. That Honda will replace the hydrogen fuel cell with a multifuel solid oxide fuel cell/microturbine.
Forget the multiple development thing in the case of hydrogen, people who run companies like Honda or Toyota ought to have the sense to pick better technology.
We are talking about Honda here. One of the best run corporations in the world.
The ability to think creatively is mandatory for executives of this kind of company. Just as much as it is optional for US automakers and frowned upon in the current leadership of the US government.
Posted by: amazingdrx | November 21, 2006 at 02:55 AM
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Posted by: Drilling Fluids | October 18, 2010 at 04:25 AM