Honda Releases Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle

June 16, 2008

The FCX Clarity by Honda, the first ever commercial car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell is set to enter production today. The hope is that cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells will be a big help for those looking to cut their carbon footprint from driving.

The only emissions that will come from the new four-door sedan is steam, drastically reducing your carbon footprint. The car will get the equivalent mileage of about 74 mpg in a car powered car, and has a range of close to 280 miles on one tank of hydrogen.

John Mendel, EVP of American Honda said “Our customers and dealers share in our vision for a cleaner and more sustainable transportation future, and share in our challenge to embrace a new generation of automotive technology that we think will carry the auto industry and its customers into the future.”

The cars are will be available to lease in Japan and Southern California later this year at a cost of about $600 per month. But don’t expect to see the FCX taking over the roads in California just yet. Honda expects to sell only a few dozen a year with a goal of 200 within three years. While this will certainly help those 200 drivers cut their carbon footprint, it is being used more as a test of the viability of the fuel cell technology.

The largest obstacle for the FCX, and any hydrogen powered car, remains the lack of fuelling infrastructure. It can be hard to drive more than 50 miles in the country without seeing a gas station, and they seem to pop up on almost every street corner. But these are not currently equipped to provide hydrogen to cars that require it.

If you want to reduce your carbon footprint by obtaining one of the few cars that are being leased, be warned that there is a strict screening process, which includes how close you live to a hydrogen fuelling station. Most of the vehicles will be snapped up by celebrities, providing the most publicity possible for Honda.

Much like cars powered by ethanol and other biofuels, there remains a great deal of controversy over how green hydrogen fuel cells actually, and if they really help reduce your carbon footprint. The product of hydrogen is a very energy intensive process, and if this is included in the emissions of the car, then the environmental benefit is in question.

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