Honda FCX Clarity (2008 – 2014) Review
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Honda FCX Clarity (2008 – 2014) At A Glance
The first serious hydrogen powers production car. Used hydrogen produced as a byproduct of chemical processes.
The time it will take for refueling infrastructure to appear.
Could the Honda FCX Clarity be the future of motoring? With the pressure to reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles ever increasing, there's no doubt that alternatives to the standard internal combustion engine are here to stay.
But what makes the FCX Clarity unique is that it's powered by a fuel cell which converts hydrogen into electricity. And the only emissions are water vapour. Just two cars have been brought to Europe and we've been fortunate enough to drive one of them.
Of course there are now several choices when it comes to alternative energy vehicles. Hybrid models, which combine an engine with an electric motor, have been on the market for several years now and are increasing in popularity - the Toyota Prius being probably the best known.
So how does it work? The FCX Clarity is a very different vehicle. Although it is essentially an electric car, it doesn't require plugging in and charging, as the power is generated by the fuel cell. Instead of a petrol tank there's a 171-litre high-pressure hydrogen tank and this hydrogen is combined with atmospheric oxygen to generate electricity. The fuel cell is really a tiny electric power station, generating its own electricity rather than through a plug-in system.
As a result there are no CO2 emissions - instead the only by-product is water. A compact lithium ion battery, housed under the rear seat, stores electricity generated during braking and deceleration, which then works with the fuel cell to power the car. As a result it's three times more efficient than a petrol-engined car.
Of course the big question is where does the hydrogen come from. Hydrogen is in fact the most common element in the universe and the most widespread way of producing it is steam reforming from natural gas. There is an environmental cost to this method, but it can be produced from other sources such as solar, wind or hydroelectric power. Hydrogen is also a more effective and efficient way of storing energy compared to batteries.
Refuelling the FCX Clarity is like fuelling a normal car and takes just a few minutes. The main problem, as is the case with any new fuel, is having the fuel available at enough garage forecourts. There are currently only a handful of operational hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK - at University sites in Loughborough, Birmingham and Baglan in Wales, although there are more under construction.
Reviews for Honda FCX Clarity (2008 – 2014)'s top 3 rivals
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Honda FCX Clarity (2008 – 2014) handling and engines
Perhaps the biggest difference between the FCX Clarity and current EVs is the performance it offers. Honda likens it to a 2.4-litre Accord - a car with around 200bhp - and it certainly feels rapid on the move. There are no official performance figures but 0-62mph is claimed to take less than 10 seconds. Like other electric vehicles, it's most impressive away from a standstill due to the fact that the 136bhp electric motor's peak torque of 256Nm is available immediately, unlike a petrol or diesel engine which has to reach a certain rpm.
But it's at higher speeds where the FCX Clarity shines, It's refined and relaxed, even under maximum acceleration, while it gains speed effortlessly. It's pretty much silent when pulling away, while a prod of the throttle results in a faint electric whine although if you really accelerate hard there's a rather odd whirring noise reminiscent of something from a sci-fi film. The CVT gearbox means there's essentially just one gear so all you need to do is move the switch-like gear lever in D and you're away.
It corners well with responsive steering while the ride is smooth and forgiving too. The brakes aren't great as they lack progression so coming to a halt smoothly isn't always easy, no doubt a side effect of the regenerative braking system. However the key aspect of the FCX is that anyone coming from a 'normal' car won't feel out of place. Aside from the lack of engine noise, it's very much like driving a standard petrol vehicle and that's very much a good thing.
The other big strength of the FCX Clarity is the range. At 270 miles it's far more than any other EV - the Nissan Leaf covers around 80 to 100 miles for example - plus there's no long wait for recharging either. To fill up the hydrogen tank costs roughly £24 - around the current cost of 4.5 gallons of diesel, making it equivalent to a car that can average 60mpg.
The bad news is that you can't actually buy an FCX Clarity yet and Honda has no firm plans to sell it in the UK. The model is currently being leased in Japan and the United States where it's available for around £380 a month on a three-year lease, however there simply aren't enough refuelling stations in the UK to justify it coming here yet. But Honda says that it will happen one day.
The International Energy Agency believes that by 2050 two thirds of all vehicles on the roads will need to be fuel cell or battery electric and this is a vision shared by Honda. The brand doesn't claim that the FCX Clarity is the only way forward, instead it sees it as just one of a number of forms of alternative power that will sit alongside hybrids, plug-in hybrids and full electric vehicles. In terms of alternative power, the FCX Clarity is the best example yet.
Honda FCX Clarity (2008 – 2014) interior
The four-seat layout, reasonable boot and spacious cabin make it an ideal family car and so you don't have to compromise for choosing an alternatively powered car. The fact it's not 'off the wall' in terms of design and styling will work in its favour if Honda is going to tempt people away from conventional petrol or diesel powered vehicles. As you can see from the pictures, the cabin is a fairly standard layout with the small gear lever (just to the right of the steering wheel) and the digital 'orb' instrument display the only unusual features
Obviously the fuel tank steals luggage space, but no more than an LPG tank in the boot. The seats are trimmed in Honda Bio-Fabrics, the making of which emits 30 per cent less CO2 than manufacturing polyester from petroleum products.
Model History
November 2007
Honda announced that it has begun using the Home Energy Station IV at its Honda R&D Americas, Inc. facility in Torrance, California. This fourth-generation experimental unit is designed to provide fuel for a hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicle, as well as heat and electricity for a home. The new system is more compact and efficient, with a lower operating cost than previous models. The announcement coincides with the world debut of the all-new FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The first ever production FCX Clarity – Honda’s advanced hydrogen fuel cell car – came off the line in Japan on Monday, 16 June 2008. After 19 years of development, this ‘real world’ fuel cell car marks the beginning of a new era of cleaner motoring.
The FCX Clarity – which emits only water from its exhaust pipe – was presented to three of the first US customers in a line-off ceremony at the world’s first dedicated fuel cell vehicle factory: the Honda Automobile New Model Centre (Takanezawa-machi, Shioya-gun, Tochigi Prefecture).
Lease sales scheduled to begin in July in the United States, and in Japan in autumn 2008. The combined sales plan for Japan and the US will be approximately 70 cars per year, with a total of 200 units over three years. Customers will follow a three-year lease term, at a price of $600 per month (approx £290), including maintenance and collision insurance.
March 2008
FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle unveiled
The FCX Clarity is a next-generation, zero-emission, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle based on an entirely new Honda V Flow fuel cell platform, and powered by the highly compact, efficient and powerful Honda V Flow fuel cell stack. Featuring tremendous improvements to driving range, power, weight and efficiency – and boasting a low-slung, dynamic and sophisticated appearance, previously unachievable in a fuel cell vehicle – the FCX Clarity marks the significant progress Honda continues to make in advancing the real-world performance and appeal of the hydrogen-powered fuel cell car.
Honda plans to lease the FCX Clarity to a limited number of retail consumers in Southern California, U.S., with the first delivery taking place in summer 2008. Full details of the lease programme will be set closer to launch, but current plans are for a three-year lease term with a price of $600 per month (approx £290), including maintenance and collision insurance.
Honda FCX Clarity Main Specifications
- Motor Max. output 100kW (136 PS) Max. torque 256 Nm (189lb.ft)
- Type AC synchronous electric motor (permanent magnet)
- Fuel cell stack
- Type PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell)
- Max. Output 100kW (136 PS) Fuel Type Compressed hydrogen gas
- Storage High-pressure hydrogen tank 171 litres capacity
- Dimensions 4835mm long × 1845 wide × 1470 mm high
- Vehicle weight 1625 kg
- Maximum speed 100mph
- Energy storage Lithium ion battery
The FCX Clarity utilises Honda’s V Flow stack in combination with a new compact and efficient lithium ion battery pack and a single hydrogen storage tank to power the vehicle’s electric drive motor. The fuel cell stack operates as the vehicle’s main power source. Hydrogen combines with atmospheric oxygen in the fuel cell stack, where energy from the reaction is converted into electric power used to propel the vehicle. Additional energy is also generated through the capture of kinetic energy from vehicle braking and deceleration (known as regenerative braking), which is stored along with surplus energy from the fuel cell in the lithium ion battery pack, and is used to supplement power from the fuel cell, when needed. The vehicle’s only emission is water.
The V Flow FC Stack features an entirely new cell structure that achieves a higher output of 100kW, smaller size and lower weight, with a 50 per cent improvement in output density by volume, and a 67 per cent increase in output density by mass, compared to the previous Honda FC stack.
The new V Flow FC Stack introduces a cell structure in which hydrogen and air flow vertically, and gravity is used to facilitate more efficient drainage of the water by-product from the electrical generation layer. The result is greater stability in power generation. The new structure also allows flow channel depth to be reduced by 17 per cent – a major contributing factor in creating thinner cells and a more compact stack.
The V Flow FC Stack incorporates wave flow-channels for the hydrogen and air, with horizontal coolant flow channels weaving between them. The wave flow channels provide greater flow length per channel than straight channels, while the resulting turbulent flow within the channel promotes improved hydrogen and air distribution. As a result, the hydrogen and air are spread over the entire electrode layer, making more efficient use of the compact electrical generation layer and achieving approximately 10 per cent higher generating performance than with straight flow channels. The horizontal coolant flow also ensures more even cooling over the entire electrical generation layer, allowing for a reduction in the number of cooling layers to half that of previous stacks. While the previous stack had one cooling layer for each cell, the new stack needs only one cooling layer per two cells. This results in a 20 per cent reduction in stack length and a 30 per cent weight reduction, which is a major breakthrough in compact, lightweight stack design.
Improved water drainage due to the V Flow cell structure facilitates better output immediately after startup. The reduced coolant volume and single-box design made possible by the wave flow-channel separators result in heat mass 40 per cent lower than previous stacks. As a result, startup is now possible at temperatures as low as -30° C.
The FCX Clarity’s revolutionary new V Flow platform packages the ultra-compact, lightweight and powerful Honda V Flow fuel cell stack – 65 per cent smaller than the previous Honda fuel cell stack unit – in the vehicle’s centre tunnel, between the two front seats. The compact size of the new V Flow FC Stack allows for a more spacious interior and more efficient packaging of other powertrain components, which would otherwise be unattainable in a sleek, low-slung sedan.
November 2008
Honda has started leasing the FCX Clarity fuel cell car in Japan earlier today, delivering the first zero-emission car to the Ministry of the Environment.
Initially, Honda will lease the FCX Clarity to government agencies and certain corporate entities in Japan, with up to 200 customers taking delivery of the car in the United States and Japan over the next three years. Honda has leased the vehicle in the US since July 2008.
The FCX Clarity is Honda’s next generation, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle. Driven by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated by a fuel cell, the car’s only emissions are heat and water. Its fuel efficiency is three times that of a modern petrol engine.
