Honda focused on fuel cell vehicles not electric vehicles
A Honda fuel cell vehicle filling up at a solar-hydrogen stationYesterday, President Takeo Fukui told Jiji Press that Honda was going to focus on fuel cell vehicles instead of electric vehicles because "Honda has no plan to develop automobiles that can be used only in limited areas."
Citing overseas markets, short travel distance and recharging times Honda does not believe that short range electric vehicles provide an attractive solution worldwide.
Within 10 years Honda believes it could be mass-producing fuel cell vehicles, once an infrastructure for hydrogen fueling stations is resolved. To address that problem, Honda is focusing on home fueling stations that convert natural gas into hydrogen.
Recently, Honda showed off the second generation Honda Clarity FCX at the LA Auto Show, and the company plans to begin leasing a limited number of these fuel cell vehicles in 2008.
Labels: fuel cells, Honda FCX, hydrogen highway
posted by Dahcredyns at
10:07 AM
5 Comments:
(Note that these comments are not aimed at you, the other of this blog, but rather at Honda.)
I find Honda's opinion concerning electric-vs-fuel cell very disappointing because in their long-term vision, we are still using hydrocarbons to power cars (natural gas to make hydrogen). And that is not the way that the motor industry needs to go. What happens when we run out of natural gas?
As for the limited range of electric vehicles and lack of charging stations: a) battery technology keeps (and will keep) improving which will make vehicle range continuously better. b) If the car can be designed to charge on any household power outlet (which is what Nissan is doing, I believe), then you can recharge your vehicle anywhere there is electricity!
And, a just a quick note at Honda front-end design: that silver strip makes that car look a lot like a Jetta!
I agree that using hydrocarbons to get hydrogen is the same as burnning food as fuel.
They are both desperate acts from uneducated people.
J Taylor
"Honda focused on fuel cell vehicles not electric vehicles"
The only nice thing is that when they realize that the infrastructure for BEVs is to place public charging locations in major shopping malls restaurant and theater parking areas ... and it will be done ...
Then the fuel cell and Hydrogen tank can be tossed out to make room for more of their new Lithium battery packs, and they will have a great Battery Electric Vehicle.///
The future of cars is Electric.
well, electric vehicles are going to mostly - at least in america - be powered by either hydrocarbons, such as coal or natural gas, or nuclear power, possibly.
hydrogen fuel cell cars don't necessarily have to be powered by natural gas, they could quite easily be powered by solar farms, especially something like solar/algae farms. and the current research going on in both fuel cells and hydrogen indicate, at least to me, that we have little understanding of both of these technologies. new developments are happening, literally, daily.
also, fuel cell cars are electric-drive cars. its energy sources and energy storage that separate fuel cell vehicles from pure electric vehicles.
also, fuel cell vehicles also utilize batteries, and the lithium batteries set to push hybrid vehicles to the next level, also make fuel cell vehicles significantly more efficient.
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