The Japanese Auto Manufacturer, Honda, is pushing ahead with the mass-production of the Honda FCX Clarity which will be powered by zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell technology. The car was named as the World Green Car for 2009 at the World Car Awards. On the Honda FCX Clarity, Honda promises that the car is fun to drive and smooth, quiet en powerful. The vehicle also features a reinforced body structure, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and a Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS).
This decision to mass-produce this vehicle comes even though there has been a slow uptake on hydrogen fuel cell technology. The Obama administration in the US, a key market for this technology, has publicly backed electric car technology and ignored hydrogen fuel cell technology. In the United Kingdom no network for hydrogen fuel cell technology exists. Honda is presently the only Auto Manufacturer in the world to offer a hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle for public leasing. General Motors and Toyota have also backed hydrogen fuel cell technology adoption as one of their strategies. General Motors plans to release a fuel cell car by the year 2012. Toyota are looking to bring out a fuel cell car in the next 6 years. The problem with hydrogen, in my opinion, is that it costs twice the price of gasoline, so it won’t be that cost effective. Or maybe it could be if there is fuelling structure like the established gasoline one. It will be a while before we see these cars advertised as 2nd hand vehicles in the classifieds, probably another 5 years or so.
Related Links:
Honda FCX Clarity – Official Website
