Honda Introduces New Zero-Emission Car

The first-ever hydrogen-powered car rolled out of a Honda plant Monday in Tokyo.

The FCX Clarity  is a fuel-cell vehicle, which works by combining hydrogen and oxygen from the air to make electricity. Its only byproducts are water and heat; it does not emit any of the fumes that are thought to add to global warming.

Honda will produce only about 200 of these cars over the next three years, and expects to lease out "a few dozen" this year.  Among the initial lucky customers are actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Harris.

The Clarity is twice as efficient as a gas-electric hybrid, and three times more so than the conventional gas-fueled vehicle.  Fuel-cells seem to have an advantage over electric cars, whose batteries can take hours to recharge and use electricity often produced by coal-burning plants.

This technology is not without its drawbacks, however.  The car reportedly costs a few hundred thousand to produce. Honda insists that this will change as production increases and estimates that the price should drop below $100,000 in less than 10 years. Meanwhile, the manufacturer will lease the vehicle for $600 a month.

Now it seems what we need to guarantee the success of this type of vehicle is government support. Making hydrogen fuel stations widely available and accessible will hopefully, in the future, help us become less dependent on foreign oil.

Comments

[ckroll98]

I am just curious as to how stable the hydrogen fuel cell will be. Kind of like a hydrogen bomb waiting to happen, but it's a good concept to have a very efficient, low emission vehicle availbe in today's market. Yes, goverment help would be great in subsidizing the cost for fuel stations around the U.S. If they can produce more and lower the cost, it might be beneficial, but right now at $100K, I can buy a lot of gasoline for my 6 cylinder.

[Sil78]

I find with any new technology that its expensive at first. Once the technology becomes more available then the price will come down.

[richmond]

Once the price comes down, this will be a popular option. Great mileage and zero emissions? It sounds like the future of automobile usage.