In a recent interview, Honda President Takeo Fukui said that he fully expects to offer a fuel-cell Honda by 2018. Nissan has already gone on record as saying they plan to have a fuel-cell vehicle on the road by the early 2010s. So that might seem like a long way off, especially considering the FCX Concept that AB Green drove will be doing real world testing by 2008, but production and storage of hydrogen are still huge obstacles to making fuel-cell vehicles practical. The Kyodo News agency also said Fukui implied that Honda's research showed that the price would have to be less than about 10 million yen ($84,000) to make it palatable to buyers. Well, we'd have to agree with that, but might add that it would have to be WAY less than that figure.
[Source: Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Paul @ Dec 30th 2006 8:25AM
and where is the GM fuel cell car?
asian=smart
it wont be long before the japanese dominate this market.
Andrew @ Dec 30th 2006 8:49AM
comment #1: yes those asians are just way too smart for us. Heck in 12 years they might be in very limited production with an 84,000 dollar car.
I am reminded of a quote by "Simpson's" Newscaster Kent Brockman
"Ladies and gentlemen, er, we've just lost the picture, but, uh, what we've seen speaks for itself. The Corvair spacecraft has been taken over — 'conquered', if you will — by a master race of giant space ants. It's difficult to tell from this vantage point whether they will consume the captive earth men or merely enslave them. One thing is for certain, there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. I'd like to remind them that as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to...toil in their underground sugar caves."
Paul, you are a trusted blog personality. Perhaps you can get a job.
John P. @ Dec 30th 2006 9:29AM
Ford had a fuel cell Focus running two or three years ago Paul.
Howard Kerr @ Dec 30th 2006 10:28AM
Let's see...in 1989 I bought a Honda Civic DX sedan for $9,000. Today (16 years later) it costs about $16,000 to buy an equivalent Civic. IF the fuel cell Civic arrives in 12-14 years and Honda Civic prices double in that time, A gasoline powered Civic could cost $32,000 dollars. Yeah, why buy a fuel cell car for 5 times the price of today's car, when a gasoline-powered car MAY ONLY cost DOUBLE what today's car cost?
Brian @ Dec 30th 2006 11:00AM
I simply don't trust predictions that far in the future to be accurate. The auto industry changes to often, technology comes and goes.
In addition Hydrogen has yet to prove itself to be anything more than a pie in the sky.
Remember folks, HYDROGEN IS NOT AN ENERGY SOURCE.
It is only a way of storing energy that still has to be produced through some other means.
John P. @ Dec 30th 2006 11:29AM
Dustin, I wasn't country bashing, I was just correcting Paul.
American Cars suck big ol' donkey dick @ Dec 30th 2006 11:40AM
#5. You need to do a bit more research. the 2007 Civic DX is not comparable to your 89 Civic DX. Your DX came with no power windows, no vtec engine, and no airbags (yours might have had front airbags).
New DX has vtec engine, power windows, 4 air bags frt and side, and is a larger car and more technically advanced.
To compare the two based on price is misleading. What car made in 1989 is still the same price today? And you aren't adjusting for inflation, to be economically correct here.
And as I am sure you are aware, any new technology always cost more when it first comes out. First VCR's were ~$1000 and people paid that. Same thing for DVD players when they first came out. Point is that there are people who will pay top dollar to be the first kid on the block to have it. It's like the morons here in Cali who paid huge mark ups ($2-5k) on the Toyota Penis Hybrid so they could save the environment (yet they forgot they were still buring gasoline).
As economy of scale kicks in, this new technology (assuming it catches on) will become cheaper. And as we go forward, chances are that this estimated price will come down. Because all it is is an ESTIMATED price.
The real thing to focus on is that Honda, being the engineering masters that they are, are working on new propulsion technologies. That's what Honda is all about, making propulsion devices and not cars. They just happen to be in the car business to sell their engines. Just as they do with Motorcycles, generators, planes, etc.
Honda is the #1 engine manufacturer in the world. Hell, GM was buying the vtec V6 to put in the Saturn Vue not too long ago.
I am looking forward to seeing how well Honda implements their version of the diesel engine. That sucker should ROCK if and when they perfect their plasma emission system.
Have a happy New year and let's hope American car companies can ween themselves off of donkey dick.
Sid @ Dec 30th 2006 12:48PM
LOL, Andrew. Thats not the only time Kent has jumped ship and sided with the enemy either. Remember the Movementarians?
Andy @ Dec 30th 2006 2:35PM
Me thinks #1 and #10 are the same person.
Mike @ Dec 30th 2006 2:51PM
LOL where is GMs fuel cell car?
Due to be introduced BEFORE 2018
So you can cancel your all hail honda celebrations, GM has been developing its fuel cell cars for a while now, and is currently testing them quite actively with great success. They will also be rolling out a small number of these in 2007 (Chevy Equinox version) for what you would call real world testing. Quite clearly more than ready for Honda in 2018.
GhostDoggy @ Dec 30th 2006 3:24PM
2018? I bet Mr Fusion will be available for any and every vehicle on the street come 3018. How many of you care about that?
How about reporting something that means something to me now, before I lose my lisence or the ability to buy, and hopefully prior to heading for Country Kitchen for my geriatric breakfast.
Derek @ Dec 30th 2006 3:50PM
http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4024414&ocid=AutosLetter20061227Link2content8
2018? Ha! GM is planning on 2010-2011. Oh, and 2929lb*ft of torque! I sense the winds changing...
Andrew @ Dec 30th 2006 6:12PM
Just to add to my post #2: HAIL ANTS/ASIANS. See link
http://tcal.net/uploads/hailants.jpg
Anyway back to hydrogen economy. It may work, but it may never work. There are many issues, such as they fact that there are no hydrogen deposits, h2 has to be made with fossil fuel mostly.
There is a fallacy that technology is simply a matter of politics and/or money. If we set our minds (and politicians) to something we can make it practical. In most predicted technologies never become practical, and this is more from physics than from conspiracy.
Automakers know oil has its problems, but petroleum is still the best fuel for making consumers happy. They know they have to propose some possible solution, even if it might not work.
Bio fuels like butanol or algae derrived diesel may take over. Or oil could last much, much longer than predicted (oil peak has been predicted since the first well was drilled).
Nissan announces anti-matter powered radial arm saw, will see limited production in 2845.
JGN @ Dec 30th 2006 8:28PM
I'll take the huge investments being made by various corporations in fuel cell development as a vote of confidence for Hydrogen as a viable energy source.
There are a lot of energy source experts here on Autoblog, but I am sure that these companies considered a lot of that bullshit before putting billions of dollars on the line.
far jr @ Dec 30th 2006 11:14PM
If people would simply do the research, they would realize GM is tops in fuel cell technology.
http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/adv_tech/400_fcv/index_fc.html
Paul is quite aware of this and is trying to prolong the "percieved import superiority" theme as long as posssible. Failing to recognize the merits of the competition is what got the domestics in a pickle during the 80's and 90's. Paul and his ilk can spout thier deception but GM is doing quite well in engineering lately.
Oh and kudos to Honda. Hydrogen will not come about by GM alone. Involvement by other manufacturers will help speed up the process. Honda is a wourld leader in "green" technology. That's why they don't have a V-8 option in the Ridgeline et.al.
Whether hydrogen is the right fuel for the future is debateable. I would prefer to see a hybrid with plug in capability and a small multi-fuel engine capable of running on gasoline, bio-diesel, natural gas, or ethanol (direct injection could be the key?) That way consumers have the choice of the lowest cost energy source or the ability to put thier money (aka. support) where they want.
GOT @ Dec 31st 2006 3:09AM
One thing people need to keep in mind is that electrical motors are much more efficient (and I’m betting more reliable) than internal combustion motors. So even if it still takes oil to create the energy, electrical engines will be a big improvement.
BRING ON THE ELECTRICAL MOTOR!
Gerry @ Dec 31st 2006 2:41PM
I'll take Honda's 2018 projection more seriously than GM's 2010.
Ken Scott @ Dec 31st 2006 9:34PM
I am confused...and yes, I do have a Chemical Engineering education @ OSU (OSC in 1957)....IceLand is running Hydrogen powered cars today. They creat the hydrogen at the pump site and use standard internal combustion engines, such as the VW Eurovan. The adaption is smilar to a propane conversion. The cost is no more than a standard gasoline engine. The results are...no polution (more or less). This idea was around in my High School days of 1953 (physics class)...so what gives? It is easy to design an explosion proof Hydrogen tank. Why not proceed in this manner...let's see what is going on in Iceland. OK?
Ken Scott
Dustin @ Jan 2nd 2007 3:12AM
To be completely honest, autobloggreen just finished testing both the fuel cell honda fcx, and the fuel cell ford focus. They are on equivalent timelines at this point. Par is par, whatever side of the fence you may sit on. So can we please dispense with the mindless country-bashing for a brief moment? Think of the kids! :)
B.T. @ Jan 24th 2007 9:04AM
This car for 2008-2009 in Japan see Honda's website and another websites O.O