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The Honda FCX (commonly referred to as ''Fuel Cell eXperimental'') is a family of
hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxi ...
fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requ ...
automobiles manufactured by
Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
. As of March 2007, there are more than twenty Honda FCX vehicles in the hands of customers, including the
state of New York New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state ...
, cities of
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
,
Chula Vista Chula Vista (; ) is the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fifteenth largest city in the state of California, and the 78th-largest city in the United States. The popul ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
and the
South Coast Air Quality Management District The South Coast Air Quality Management District, also using the acronym South Coast (AQMD), formed in 1976, is the air pollution agency responsible for regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the South Coast Air Basin and the Coachell ...
in three different American states. Limited marketing of a latest
fuel cell vehicle A fuel cell vehicle (FCV) or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is an electric vehicle that uses a fuel cell, sometimes in combination with a small battery or supercapacitor, to power its onboard electric motor. Fuel cells in vehicles generate elec ...
named FCX Clarity, based on the 2007 concept model, began on June 19, 2008 in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. Honda believes it could start mass-producing the next model evolved from the FCX concept by 2018.


1999 FCX concept and prototypes

The first prototype FCX is a four-door, four-seat vehicle that was launched in 1999. Dimensions are: length 4165 mm, width 1760 mm and height 1645 mm. The fuel cell was a PEFC (proton exchange membrane) manufactured by
Ballard Power Systems Ballard Power Systems Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell products for markets such as heavy-duty motive (consisting of bus and tram applications), portable power, material handling as well as enginee ...
. The fuel cell had power output of 78 kW. The engine has a maximum output of 80 horsepower (60 kilowatts), torque of and has an EPA certified range of 170 miles. The first vehicles were delivered on December 2, 2002, in the USA (City of
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
) and Japan. * 1999 September ** Honda FCX-V1:
Hydrogen vehicle A hydrogen vehicle is a vehicle that uses hydrogen fuel for motive power. Hydrogen vehicles include hydrogen-fueled space rockets, as well as ships and aircraft. Power is generated by converting the chemical energy of hydrogen to mechanical energ ...
model ** Honda FCX-V2:
Methanol Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a lig ...
-
fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requ ...
model * 2000 September ** Honda FCX-V3:
Supercapacitor A supercapacitor (SC), also called an ultracapacitor, is a high-capacity capacitor, with a capacitance value much higher than other capacitors but with lower voltage limits. It bridges the gap between electrolytic capacitors and rechargeable ba ...
model, began tests in the public roads * 2001 September ** Honda FCX-V4: evolved version of FCX-V3 * 2002 March ** Honda FCX-V4 served as pace car at the
Los Angeles Marathon The Los Angeles Marathon (formerly known as the City of Los Angeles Marathon) is an annual running event typically held each spring in Los Angeles, California, since 1986. The marathon was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Ga ...
* 2002 July ** FCX became the world's first fuel-cell car certified by the U.S. EPA and
California Air Resources Board The California Air Resources Board (CARB or ARB) is the "clean air agency" of the government of California. Established in 1967 when then-governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Moto ...
for commercial use * 2002 December ** Honda FCX: vehicles delivered to Japanese Prime Minister's office (Kantei) and Los Angeles City * 2003 July ** Honda supplied the world's first fuel-cell vehicle to a private corporation * 2003 October ** Honda FC Stack was released. It was capable of power generation at temperatures as low as -20°C * 2004 April ** FCX were leased to the City and County of San Francisco, California, USA * 2004 June ** FCX were leased to the
South Coast Air Quality Management District The South Coast Air Quality Management District, also using the acronym South Coast (AQMD), formed in 1976, is the air pollution agency responsible for regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the South Coast Air Basin and the Coachell ...
* 2004 July ** FC Stack-equipped FCX received U.S. government certification for commercial use * 2004 November ** FCX was leased to the City of
Chula Vista, California Chula Vista (; ) is the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fifteenth largest city in the state of California, and the 78th-largest city in the United States. The popul ...
, USA ** FC Stack-equipped FCX was leased to the State of New York and became the world's first delivery of fuel-cell vehicles to a cold-weather region * 2005 January ** FC Stack-equipped FCX delivered to
Hokkaido Prefecture is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...
, Japan * 2005 February ** FCX vehicles leased to the City of Las Vegas, USA * 2007 March ** actress
Q'orianka Kilcher Q'orianka Waira Qoiana Kilcher (; born February 11, 1990) is an American actress, singer, and activist. Her best known film roles are Pocahontas in Terrence Malick's 2005 film '' The New World'', and Kaʻiulani in '' Princess Kaiulani'' (2009). ...
leases Honda FCX and became the world's youngest individual customer of fuel cell vehicles * 2001-2007 ** FCX was the official pace car of the Los Angeles Marathon


2002 FCX

This FCX uses front-wheel drive and is still a three-door four-seat hatchback vehicle like its predecessor. It has a maximum output of 80 kilowatts (107 horsepower) and 282 Nm (201 foot-pounds) of torque and has an operating range of 190 miles. The 2005 FCX was the second-generation fuel-cell vehicle (FCV) from Honda. It was Honda's first fuel-cell vehicle powered by a fuel-cell stack designed and manufactured by Honda, and was certified by both the EPA and CARB for commercial use. It had an EPA city/highway rating of 62/51 mpkg (57 mpkg combined). It achieved a nearly 20-percent improvement in EPA fuel economy rating (51/46 mpkg (48 mpkg combined), a 33-percent gain in peak power (107 hp vs. 80 hp) and also a nearly 20-percent gain in operating range compared to the 2004 FCX (a range of 160 miles). FCX was, according to Honda, the only fuel cell vehicle fully certified to meet the applicable federal government crash safety standards at the time. Later with software upgrades for 2006 FCX, this was enhanced to 210 miles.(EPA certified) The vehicle weighs in at 1680 kg (3700 pounds) and has a maximum speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) and a 0–100 km/h (0-60 mph) acceleration time of 11 seconds. Main hydrogen components of the vehicle include fuel cell, two hydrogen tanks behind the rear and
ultracapacitor A supercapacitor (SC), also called an ultracapacitor, is a high-capacity capacitor, with a capacitance value much higher than other capacitors but with lower voltage limits. It bridges the gap between electrolytic capacitors and rechargeable b ...
s. This model used a fuel cell first developed in-house by Honda called the Honda FC Stack. The fuel cell was introduced in October 2003 and can operate at a low temperature of −20 °C. The type of fuel cell used is a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. The fuel cell stack has a power of 86 kilowatts. The hydrogen is stored into two separate containers behind the rear seat. They can accommodate a maximum of 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) of hydrogen. The FCX is a fully featured automobile and has features like traction control, cruise control, automatic climate control, CD player, power windows, power locks and power heated mirrors. The FCX seats four adults comfortably. The only thing new for 2006 model year is the Satellite Navigation System. Honda originally only leased the FCX to certain corporate and government entities. On 29 June 2005 Honda leased an FCX to its first non-commercial customer; the Spallino family of Southern California. According to a New York Times article in 2005, Andy Boyd, a spokesman of Honda, was quoted that the FCX's estimated expense ($1 million to $2 million) is based on "the cost of body and powertrain, and also the experimental nature of some key components, like the fuel cell itself."


2006 FCX concept

At the 2006
Detroit Auto Show The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. I ...
, Honda announced that it would make a production version of the FCX concept shown at the 2005
Tokyo Motor Show The is a biennial auto show held in October–November at the Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), it is a recognized international show ...
. On 25 September 2006, this production version was unveiled. The updated four-door sedan version looks sleeker and more futuristic, and has a high focus on comfort and interior space. It has a much more spacious interior with a mixture of plastic, wood and leather. Production is expected to begin in 2008 in Japan and the U.S. The production version will closely resemble the concept, although it is unknown if some of the concept's more radical features, such as a tilting instrument panel, will be included. According to Honda, the new fuel-cell stack is 20% smaller, 30% lighter and has a higher output of . The new powerplant is 180 kg lighter, 40% smaller in volume and has a high energy efficiency of 60%, compared with 20% for most
internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combust ...
s, 30% for most hybrid powerplants and 50% for the previous generation FCX. The new powerplant utilizes three electric motors: one front-drive motor with an output of up to 80 kW, this motor's shaft is coaxial with the gearbox for a more compact front-end, and two smaller motors with a maximum output of 25 kW driving one of the rear wheels each. This layout makes the FCX technically an
all-wheel-drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one ...
vehicle. The updated FCX has a maximum speed of 160 km/h (100 mph). The new FCX utilizes several interesting new features. The new V Flow fuel cell stack can operate at temperatures as low as −30 °C. This is achieved by allowing the
hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxi ...
to flow vertically in the fuel cell stack. The tanks can store up to 5 kg (171 litres) of hydrogen at a pressure of 350 atmospheres, thanks to the new hydrogen absorption materials used. This allows a longer range of up to . To support the hydrogen fuel-cell technology, Honda also introduced the Home Energy Station (HES). This home solution can convert
natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon di ...
to electricity, heat and hydrogen to refuel fuel-cell vehicles. This allows consumers to refuel vehicles with hydrogen at home, important until hydrogen stations become widespread. Alternatively, the hydrogen can be used in the HES's built-in hydrogen fuel cell, providing up to 5 kW of normal or backup electricity and/or hot water for the home. According to Honda, this solution is highly efficient and reduces running costs of electricity, gas and vehicle fuel by up to 50%.


2008 FCX Clarity

On 15 November 2007 at the
Greater Los Angeles Auto Show The Los Angeles Auto Show is an annual auto show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in early December. The LA Auto Show is an OICA sanctioned international exhibition. It is open to the public for ten days each year, filling of exhibit ...
, Honda unveiled the FCX Clarity, the first production model, and announced that the car would be available for lease beginning in the summer 2008. Initial availability will be limited to the
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ag ...
market, with availability expanding as hydrogen fueling stations become available. Leases will only be available for 36 months at $600 per month.


References


External links


Honda FCX (English)

Honda FCX Technology
FCX homepage (Japanese).
Honda Fuel Cell page
contains specifications of FCX, FCX Concept, Home Energy Station.
Official FCX Concept Site for the 2009 version

FCX Concept Test Drive Video

2006 Honda FCX specifications


* ttp://paultan.org/archives/2007/11/07/the-new-honda-fcx-driving-experience/ Honda FCX Driving Experience Japan 2007 {{DEFAULTSORT:Honda Fcx Hydrogen cars Fuel cell vehicles FCX FCX