Honda unveiled the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The new model is a next-generation, zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle based on the new Honda V Flow fuel cell platform, and powered by the V Flow fuel cell stack.
The FCX Clarity utilizes the company'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 chemical energy from the reaction is converted into electric power used to propel the vehicle. Additional energy captured through regenerative braking and deceleration is stored in the lithium ion battery pack, and used to supplement power from the fuel cell, when needed. The platform packages the V Flow fuel cell stack (65% smaller than the previous) in the vehicle's centre tunnel, between the two front seats. Taking advantage of a completely new cell configuration, the vertically-oriented stack achieves an output of 100 kW (versus 86kW in the current Honda FC stack) with a 50 % increase in output density by volume (67 % by mass). Its compact size 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.
Compared to the current-generation FCX the new model provides a 20 % increase in fuel economy - to the approximate equivalent of 68 mpg2 combined fuel economy (about 2-3 times the fuel economy of a gasoline-powered car, and 1.5 times that of a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, of comparable size and performance). Also a 30 % increase in vehicle range - to 270 miles was achieved and a 25 % improvement in power-to-weight ratio, in part from an approximate 400-pound reduction in the fuel cell powertrain weight, for superior performance and efficiency despite a substantial increase in overall vehicle size. The fuel cell powertrain was reduced in size by 45 % - nearly equivalent, in terms of volume, to a modern gas-electric hybrid powertrain. An advanced new lithium-ion battery pack that is 40 % lighter and 50 % smaller than the current-generation FCX's ultra-capacitor was installed and a single 5000-psi hydrogen storage tank with 10 % additional hydrogen capacity than the previous model.
The model's only emission is water. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions come only from the production of hydrogen, which varies by source; however, well-to-wheel CO2 emissions using hydrogen reformed from natural gas are less than half that of a conventional gasoline vehicle. With the production of hydrogen from water by electrolysis, CO2 emissions can be further reduced and ultimately approach zero if the electricity used for electrolysis is generated using solar, wind, water or nuclear power.
