The Fuel Cell Car Honda FCX Clarity: Technology Ahead Of Its Time

Honda brings the best hope for the future by introducing the Fuel Cell car FCX Clarity. This hydrogen fuel cell car will be arriving soon in Honda dealerships. Honda says that they plan to produce a total of about 200 Clarity models during the next three years.

Built on the entirely new Honda V-Flow fuel cell platform and powered by a highly compact, powerful, and efficient new Honda V Flow fuel cell stack, the FCX Clarity marks the significant progress Honda continues to make in advancing the real-world performance and appeal of the fuel cell car.

This hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle is propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated in the fuel cell, the vehicle's only emission is water, and its fuel efficiency is three times that of a modern gasoline-powered vehicle. The electric motor generates 127 horsepower and it can produce more electricity than needed to power all the gadgetry found in the vehicle. The Clarity is said to have a fuel efficiency of 79 miles per gallon equivalent in city driving and 68 on the highway.

This next generation car will have significant advances over Honda's previous generation FCX. The most prominent ones are:

" An advanced new four passenger sedan design " A 50 percent improvement in fuel stack power output density by volume " A 40 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter new lithium-ion battery pack " A greater than 30 percent increase in driving range up to 280 miles* " A 25 percent increase in combined fuel economy to 72 miles/kg-H2* (74 mpg GGE )

*Based on official 2008 EPA estimated range and fuel efficiency values

Honda projects that it will cost close to $1 million to manufacture each car. The car will be offered on lease for $600 a month. American Honda is working with its dealer partners to implement the processes for fuel cell vehicle lease, delivery, and service support for the duration of their leases. By establishing a dedicated sales network and service infrastructure, Honda wants to provide customers with the best balance of convenience and the highest quality of service. When the FCX Clarity requires periodic maintenance, customers will simply have to schedule a visit with their local FCX Clarity dealer. American Honda will perform all required work at its specialized fuel cell service facility, in the greater Los Angeles area, and the dealership will return the vehicle to the customer after completion of the work.

About The Author Kuhn Honda is a leading Honda dealership located at 3900 West Kennedy Boulevard Tampa, Florida (FL) 33609. It extends dealership services in and around Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor and Spring Hill FL. The dealership specializes in Honda sales, service, spare parts, accessories and finance. You can find all new and pre-owned Honda vehicles at this dealership. The dealership also provides online facilities to order for new or pre-owned cars as well as parts and accessories. To know more about the dealership, visit http://www.kuhnhonda.com/.