Honda unveils diesel, FCX sports car
Honda says it will offer a California-legal diesel and a fuel-cell sports car by 2009.
The 4-cylinder diesel is promising to be the first engine to meet EPA and California diesel exhaust requirements. Officials also boast it will get 30 percent better fuel economy than a comparable gas engine. Since Mercedes-Benz hasn't received diesel certificiation yet, analysts are cautious with their enthusiasm for Honda's announcement. Honda says it's diesel differs by using a new catalytic converter to generate and store ammonia on board to reduce NOx levels. Other systems store the ammonia separately and require regular maintenance.
Honda also unveiled a driveable version of the FCX sports car that was shown at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. Officals say sales could begin within two years. That would take some of the shine of GM's goal to have production fuel-cell vehicles ready by 2010. The FCX would be much more expensive, of course, but it would have the bragging rights and might be an easier sale considering the market base.
[Source: Bloomberg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jimmy 8:45AM (9/25/2006)
It is worth noting that VW showed a prototype 2008 Jetta TDI at the AltWheels Transportation Festival in Boston. They claim it is 50 state legal without urea injection. The jetta has a 2.0L Common Rail TDI making 140hp. Reports are VW is claiming 60 hwy / 40 city mpg for the Jetta CR-TDI.
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Matthew 10:33AM (9/25/2006)
To learn how much your particular car is contributing to poor air quality and incedence of asthma in children, check out Environmental Working Group's Auto Asthma Index:
http://www.ewg.org/sites/asthmaindex/
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john 3:38PM (9/25/2006)
The FCX might be a good way to introduce Hydrogen into mainstream, because it'll be marketed to millionaires whom have nowhere else to spend their money but on a super-high performance hydrogen Sports car. Maybe Honda took note of Tesla Motor's marketing strategy
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loikll 4:42PM (9/25/2006)
Coooollll, man I'd take that car -- I don't care of it runs on puppies and kittens.
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MikeW 11:53AM (9/26/2006)
Didn't honda once say that a running new ~'98-ish SULEV accord pollutes less than a 25 year old car just being parked.
We've come a long way, just smell the air when a carbureted car drives by.
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Mike 3:29PM (9/28/2006)
There's a cool pic of the FCX here:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/09/honda_fcx_100mph.php
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