Honda has announced plans to rollout, in limited numbers in Japan and the U. S., a version of its Honda FCX hydrogen fuel cell car in 2008. This announcement is on the heals of BMW and General Motors announcing they will be rolling out their hydrogen cars on a limited basis in 2007.
The newest version of the Honda FCX has a smaller, more compact fuel cell that delivers 14 kw more power than the previous version. The water flow system has also been improved as the FCX now has a V Flow (vertical flow) system that uses gravity to assist in the water flow through the fuel cell. This means the new FCX can start in temperatures as cold as – 30C, which is -10C colder than the previous FCX.
The newest Honda FCX also uses a lithium ion battery pack for auxiliary power and overall increased power output. The vehicle has a range of approximately 350 miles with a top speed of approximately 100 mph.
An ancient Chinese proverb says, “May you live in interesting times.” And, now that competition is heating up among the automakers to get their hydrogen cars to market, these are most interesting times, indeed.
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