Honda to Produce Fuel Cell Vehicles for Consumers Next Year

The current global warming threat and increasing prices of gasoline has led car manufacturers to develop new technologies to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel. Reducing greenhouse gases which contributes to global warming is also a major concern for car manufacturers. Currently, the most popular alternative engine technology is the gas-electric hybrid technology used widely by Japanese car manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda.

The Toyota Prius is the most popular hybrid vehicle today with celebrities known to own and drive it all around town. Another technology though more fuel efficient than hybrids is being developed by Honda. The FCX fuel-cell vehicle is the first U.S. government approved fuel-cell vehicle. Currently, the said vehicle is being tested by fleets and a couple of consumers. Next year though, Honda promises to produce a limited number of this environment friendly vehicle.

The announcement came after General Motors also publicized that they will be letting consumers test 100 units of the fuel-cell powered Chevrolet Equinox. The modified SUV from General Motors also gained the approval of the government. Both the revised Equinox and the FCX are powered by electricity. The electricity which drives the vehicles is produced by the fusion of oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen is taken in by the fuel cell stack from the surrounding air while hydrogen is purchased from refilling stations offering it. Currently, that is a problem being faced with the development of these hydrogen-fueled vehicles.

Across the country, there are limited numbers of refilling stations offering hydrogen fuel. Already, there are proposed solutions to this problem. One of these is the involvement of industrial gas suppliers. Companies such as Praxair and Air Products could make their resources available to fuel-cell car owners.

While the use of fuel cell technology eliminates the emission of harmful greenhouse gases, it is expected that fuel cell technology is years away from being practical for ordinary consumer use. Fuel cell vehicles are more environment friendly than hybrid vehicles since the result of the fusion of hydrogen fuel and oxygen is only water. The production of fuel stack though is costly and fragile. With more money being poured into the development of these vehicles, it can be expected that development of tougher fuel cell stacks for a lower price will be a reality.

For the 2008 FCX, Honda announced that they will be using a lithium-ion battery pack that is known to be lighter and more powerful than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used by current hybrid vehicles. The second largest Japanese car manufacturer also announced that the production FCX will be equipped with a smaller fuel cell stack. The current FCXs use the entire floor space to accommodate its fuel cell stack. For the next year, the fuel cell stack will only occupy the space under the armrest between the driver and the passenger. The light lithium-ion battery pack will be placed behind the rear seat.

The company did not release a statement whether they will be redesigning the exterior of the sleek FCX for the consumer market. Currently, the FCX’s design stands out with its unique headlight and taillight configuration which looks good even without a set of Auto Ventshade accessories. The FCX not only looks good but also delivers good value for money in terms of fuel efficiency. According to Honda, the FCX has a mileage rating of 68 mpg if equated to gasoline. While hydrogen costs more per gallon, the efficiency of fuel cell technology makes the cost per mile less than that of gasoline.

Aside from the limited production FCX, Honda also announced that they will be offering a unique hybrid vehicle which will cost less than the hybrid version of the Honda Civic in the near future. The company said that the new hybrid will not replace the Civic hybrid in its lineup. Instead, the said new hybrid will augment the Civic, much like what the Prius is to the Camry hybrid.