In a wide ranging speech,which is believed to have also set Honda's financial goals for the next five years,President and Chief Executive Officer Takanobu Ito,allegedly announced Honda's intention to launch fuel cell based electric cars in the US market in the not to distant future.A source close to Honda indicated to SMO Fitzgerald Global that they intend to leverage the significant cost savings and technological advancements that they have achieved.
Honda,which has two manufacturing and assembly plants,as well as a research and development facility,in Ohio,made no commitment on how many or where the fuel cell vehicles would be manufactured.However,Honda have traditionally used facilities close to their Tokyo headquarters for all its initial stage new technologies work.
Fuel cells convert hydrogen gas into electricity,with the only byproduct being water.SMO Fitzgerald Global source calls the new Honda's"the pinnacle of environmentally conscious automotive engineering."
Engineers have for years spoken of the huge potential of fuel cells to reduce harmful carbon emissions,with several other auto manufacturers,including General Motors and Toyota,saying that they also intend to produce these cell based vehicles by 2015.
Honda have produced a limited release fuel cell car,called the FCX Clarity,over the last decade.Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition executive director Pat Valenti reportedly commented that this puts Honda in a very favorable position to take advantage of this fuel cell initiative.SMO Fitzgerald Global believes that the FCX Clarity has total sales of less than 100 vehicles.The FCX Clarity allegedly provides three times the fuel efficiency of gasoline based cars and twice the efficiency of hybrids.
While the first FCX was more of a science project than a practical car,the FCX Clarity has everything the average buyer could want.Launched in 2009,it is about the same size as the outgoing Accord sedan,and its 134 horsepower electric motor offers similar performance to a midsize sedan with a four-cylinder gasoline engine.
Honda claimed a 270-mile range for the FCX Clarity,about the same as the most powerful Tesla Model S.However,there are virtually no hydrogen filling stations,while EV charging stations are slowly springing up across the country.
Still,these cells offer the possibility of eliminating emissions without heavy batteries and long charging times.It may be a gamble for Honda,but it will offer consumers yet another alternative to fossil fuels.
