Autoblog Green drives FCX from Honda
Our man Sam from Autoblog Green recently had the opportunity to spend a couple days in the Golden State, driving Honda's FCX hydrogen fuel-cell sedan.
He covers Honda's hydrogen offering in a four-part series, going into detail about the interior, exterior, technology and driving impressions during his time at Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA. His post is far and away the most in-depth article we've seen on the FCX, so it's certainly worth a few minutes of your Saturday afternoon.
Enjoy and great job Sam!
Part One – Part Two – Part Three – Part Four
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
drew3000 8:55PM (11/25/2006)
Eletric cars are a better idea than hydrogen cars. The process of making water into hydrogen, then making hydrogen into electricity, wastes a lot of energy. The tesla roadster only has a 250 mile range but with a "battery swap infrastructure" we could have machines that swap out used up batteries for charged ones in only a few minutes. We would need to have 1-3 standard battery sizes and voltages that would be available at these stations. When they swap your battery for a charged one it would cost the price of the electric bill and a few dollars for the cost of the battery (after swapping many batteries they would get a return on their investment). People could also buy battery swapping machines for their homes and run their own small business and just put a sign in their yard. This way, when you really need to, you could go more than 250 miles without having to recharge.
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Andy 11:38PM (11/25/2006)
The problem is an EV will not ever have a chance to become the vehicle for the mass-market because energy producers don't have anything to gain from it. Hydrogen is a renewable fuel source that can be provided by energy companies, giving them a reason to support it instead of dramatically reducing fuel costs to kill the appeal of an EV. I like the ideas of both hydrogen cars and EVs, but understand they have a lot to overcome from oil companies and pessimists.
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retsel 11:57PM (11/25/2006)
let us make a kit that would allow someone to swap out a gas engine for an electric one...
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That One Person 12:07AM (11/26/2006)
#1 Drew...umm they dont pump water into the fuel cell. They pump hydrogen (which is kept under pressure in a tank) into the fuel cell. And when it mixes with oxygen, it forms water. There was a program on the Discover Channel about this technology. When the water comes out the exhaust, you could literally drink it. I would explain the process but its too lengthy. And at this time, cost would be too high to produce vehicles and actually make them worth the money. Hydrogen isnt cheap.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_fuel_cell#Types_of_fuel_cells
Anyways, the whole process with the electic vehicles and having "Battery Stations" sounds good but you run into the whole cost thing. Plus, you have to get companies to support a single battery and electrical system design. Which I guess wouldnt be hard but it would take a while. Right now, that too isnt cost effective. Maybe in the future it will be...
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That One Person 12:13AM (11/26/2006)
#1...I forgot to add: There is a process in which you can extract hydrogen fron water (electrolysis) but like you said, wastes energy and is pretty lengthy. But the technology they are using in cars uses pressurized hydrogen...
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Ryan 1:23AM (11/26/2006)
" And at this time, cost would be too high to produce vehicles and actually make them worth the money. Hydrogen isnt cheap."
-I guess Honda and GM should give up then.
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ari 11:10AM (11/26/2006)
and let's remember BMW just started producing 7-series combustion hydrogen engine.
That is the best solution available today, when hydrogen fillupstations are rare. You can drive gasoline also with same engine.
unfortunately it is not cheap, but it will get cheaper. Invention is not cheap, copying is.
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That One Person 11:17AM (11/26/2006)
I wasnt saying that...I am just saying as a mass market vehicle it wouldnt be worth the money. If people think gas prices are outrageous now, think about what hydrogen would be like.
I think its great companies like Ford, GM, BMW, Toyota, etc. are looking at hydrogen technology. I think if the hydrogen fuel cell technology was as cheap as the everyday internal combustion engine, fuel cell vehicles would be on the streets in the very near future.
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mavkato 11:23AM (11/26/2006)
That one Person: where does this pressurized hydrogen come from? It doesn't naturally exist in that state; it has to be extracted from some source.
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apt34 11:54AM (11/26/2006)
#7: I'm not sure if you implied it, but yea the hydrogen 7-series was a spectacular failure. Read more here:
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2006/11/18/spiegel-comes-down-hard-on-bmw-hydrogen-7/
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That One Person 12:04PM (11/26/2006)
I have no clue where they extract it. I would have to look it up. Anyways, I do know (at least over at Ford) they keep the hydrogen pressurized in large tanks for their fuel cell Focii(Focuses...not sure how to write it). The hydrogen tanks are buried but supposedly they arent much different than large propane tanks.
http://www.ford.com/en/vehicles/specialtyVehicles/environmental/fuelCell/default.htm
http://www.sae.org/automag/features/fordfc/index.htm
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jeff kent 12:34PM (11/26/2006)
And as for batteries, there's always the gnarly problem of disposing them an where the electricity comes from for charging them.
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KC 1:29PM (11/26/2006)
Perhaps some combination of ultra capacitors and batteries in a pure EV would be the answer. Ultracaps can be recharged almost instantly but they also discharge very quickly meaning short range in a EV type application. Batteries charge slow but offer great range because they also discharge slow.
Perhaps with regenerative breaking and a solar cell on the roof to help charge the battery plus an ultra capacitor for that much needed quick charge.
There might just be a right balance of the two that could make a good allarounder.
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Robin Ohman 1:47PM (11/26/2006)
Auto companies are experimenting with alternatives because they know they need to if they are going to survive. Honda is making money and they are investing some of it to develop new technologies. GM and Ford used to make money. How much did they spend to improve their products?
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mavkato 5:36PM (11/26/2006)
@ that one person: hydrogen doesn't come from huge pressurized tanks. neither does propane. it comes from the same refineries that make gasoline and other fuels. hydrogen would also have to come from some sort of refinery, and at this point it takes more energy to separate the hydrogen than you get from burning it.
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Justin 8:55AM (11/27/2006)
I say kudos for investing in progress. No one will really know for another 30 years who a clear winner might be...but we have to start at some point. Bring on the experiments! I just hope we choose the best method and not the most economically viable for the moment (as we as people are so prone to).
As for this car...while it's cool in some way...progress is never pretty (and that's coming from a Honda guy, lol).
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Mike Tieman 4:54PM (11/28/2006)
www.omnivalves.com claims their new technology is greener then green and makes hybrids obsolete. They have a patented intake valve that gives any 4 storke engine the ability to generate giant increases in lowend troque. The same thing that an electric motor does in a hybrid....... pretty interesting stuff!
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