Honda's visionary approach to fuel cell vehicles?
The key to Honda's green future?Honda is a pretty cool company. Not only does Honda make some of the most fuel efficient vehicles - fleet wide - in the industry, they also make some pretty cool jet airplanes. Even more interesting, however, Honda now makes next generation solar cells.
Why would an automaker make solar cells?
I'm sure there are many reasons that Honda might make solar cells, but one interesting reason showed up at the LA Auto Show. (Finish)
Labels: fuel cells, Honda FCX, hydrogen highway, solar hybrid vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
10:09 AM
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Honda is a pretty cool company. Not only does Honda make some of the most fuel efficient vehicles - fleet wide - in the industry, they also make some pretty cool jet airplanes. Even more interesting, however, Honda now makes next generation solar cells.
Why would an automaker make solar cells?
I'm sure there are many reasons that Honda might make solar cells, but one interesting reason showed up at the LA Auto Show.
The Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle was, by many media accounts, one of the highlights of the LA Auto Show. A beautiful, production-ready fuel cell car that achieves around 275 miles per filling while producing an approximated equivalent of 68 mpg. Of course, one of the primary problems with fuel cell vehicles, such as the FCX or the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicle, is hydrogen, or the lack of hydrogen filling stations.
Enter the Home Energy Station IV pictured next to the FCX Clarity above.
The Home Energy Station is a home refueling solution that uses a home's existing natural gas supply for the production of hydrogen, while also providing heat and electricity to a home. According to Honda, "a home using Home Energy Station IV to help produce heat and electricity and also to refuel an FCX Clarity can reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 30 percent and energy costs by an estimated 50 percent."
Sounds pretty cool, but it's still probably expensive, right - even with a 50 percent reduction in energy costs?
Well, what if solar power were added into the equation?
Today, much solar power is wasted on the typical home because a home can't store solar power, but what if it could store excess solar power as hydrogen that could either be converted back into electricity, or used to fill a fuel cell vehicle? The convergence of these complimentary technologies makes each technology more efficient and cost-effective.
Already Honda is developing prototype solar powered hydrogen filling stations that might provide excellent investment opportunities for the next generation of fueling station operators and convenience stores.
Certainly, there are many obstacles to the hydrogen highway and fuel cell vehicles, in addition to clean home energy solutions, such as solar power. However, Honda is demonstrating that if we converge these technologies into one solution - if we dare to think a bit differently regarding energy - the hydrogen economy revolution might just be closer than otherwise believed.
Isn't it time to kick start the hydrogen highway?
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