First Drive: 2009 Honda FCX Clarity, world's first series production fuel cell car
Click on the FCX Clarity for a high-res gallery
What you see pictured above is the world's first fuel cell-powered car designed from the ground up expressly for that purpose with series production in mind. It's not converted from any existing vehicle like the Chevy Equinox, Toyota Highland and Ford Focus that you can find elsewhere on this site. The Honda FCX Clarity takes the layout and design themes first seen in two years ago in the FCX concept to completion. As we reported earlier this week, the FCX Clarity will be available for lease to retail customers beginning in the summer of 2008.
In the days following the world premiere of the FCX Clarity at the LA Auto Show, Honda invited a select group of journalists to drive a pair of pre-production examples in Santa Monica. As pre-production samples, these two cars are essentially hand built but using production tooling. Some reports have the value of these cars as much as $10,000,000 which may or may not be accurate for the current stage of development, but read on after the break to find out what happens when bloggers take to the PCH and Malibu Canyon in Honda's latest creations.
Gallery: 2009 Honda FCX Clarity First drive
All photos ©2007 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Before we got to hop into the cars, some of the chief engineers and designers on the FCX program gave us a briefing on technical and design details. The soft-spoken VP of Honda of America R&D, Ben Knight, started things off with some background on the company's efforts in developing more efficient, less polluting technologies such as the CVCC engines of the 1970s and the EV-Plus battery electric of the late '90s and on to the fuel cell and diesel power-trains under development today. Knight may be soft-spoken, but like GM's Larry Burns, he is very much a hands-on engineer with a passion for developing new technology.
While facilities for retail distribution of hydrogen are obviously extremely limited right now, Honda is actively working to change that too. Honda Soltec recently started production of new photo-voltaic cells that only require half the energy input to manufacture of current cells. Their Torrance, CA headquarters campus has a hydrogen filling station that features two different H2 generators. A solar powered electrolyzer produces the gas from water, while the experimental Home Energy Station has a natural gas reformer.
With the most common way of producing hydrogen right new is steam reformation of natural gas, CO2 emissions still remain a concern. However, when well-to-wheels CO2 emissions are evaluated in comparison to gasoline engines, steam reformation and fuel cells show a sixty percent reduction. For solar powered electrolysis, Honda has proton exchange membrane electrolyzer that basically functions as a fuel cell in reverse and is eighty percent efficient. Although home hydrogen generation is still a ways off, centrally produced hydrogen is being distributed via pipelines right now. Shell will open be opening a hydrogen station in Los Angeles next year right on an existing 8" hydrogen pipeline.
Exterior Design Leader Masaru Hosagawa explained that the body of the new FCX was specifically designed to highlight the tiny drive-train that propels this relatively large car. The FCX takes the cab forward design ethos to a whole new level with the base of the windshield starting at about the front wheel center line and sweeping all the way back to the edge of the trunk lid in a continuous curve dubbed Dynamic Full Cabin Design. Combined with the super compact vertical flow fuel cell stack that sits within the center console, the FCX has an almost limousine-like interior volume for four passengers. 
Speaking of the passengers, keeping them in climate-controlled comfort is important but regulating the temperature of such a large interior volume can consume quite a bit of energy. One way to minimize that energy is to regulate the temperature right at the surface of the occupants. Since the largest point of contact between the passengers and the car is the seats, Honda has chosen to provide a climate control system within the seats. Fans draw air into the front seats where a thermo-electric device chills or heats it before blowing it through pores in the seat cushions. The end result is greatly reduced demand on the climate control system.
The FCX Clarity has remained remarkably true to the concept with the most obvious visual difference being the nose. The production car has been stretched out by a few inches in order to provide crush space for crash protection. The grille has now been moved above a new chrome bumper strip taking the place of the previous full-width light bar. In profile the base of the windshield extended even farther forward and the front quarter windows were part of the body. Those windows are now smaller and integrated into the doors instead. At the back, the full width tail-lamp cluster is now slimmer in the middle providing room for an extra piece of vertical glass aiding rear visibility with the high deck. That tall deck combines with a fuel tank mounted down low between the rear wheels to provide for much more trunk room than other converted fuel cell cars. Including the under floor compartment, the total storage volume is 13.1 cu. ft. The fully-appointed FCX is equipped with all the modern conveniences such as a satellite navigation system, adaptive cruise control, electronic stability control. All of this is combined in an aluminum structural cage that provides protection for the passengers and the fuel system.
Chief Engineer Sachito Fujimoto described the FCX platform as having been designed to be lightweight while providing maximum safety. The FCX is designed to meet and surpass all safety standards in the US and elsewhere. When this car becomes available next year, it won't require any safety waivers. The 5,000 psi hydrogen tank is designed to withstand any impact it might see in the real world. While the first generation FCX used a two tank storage system, the new car has switched to a single-tank setup. Previously separate components like the pressure sensor, regulator and shut-off valve are now combined in one module mounted in the tank.
Having only one tank means fewer connection points that can fail so that safety is enhanced and installation is a lot simpler. A single larger diameter tank has greater capacity in less overall space than two smaller tanks. The bottom line is seventy-four percent fewer parts and twenty-four percent better storage efficiency.
One problematic aspect of many previous fuel cell vehicles has been high weight. The Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell being used for that company's Project Driveway weighs over 4,400 pounds and the Sequel concept reportedly weighs over 5,000 lbs. Even the much smaller Ford Focus FCV weighs in at 3,600 lbs. The new FCX Clarity weighs in at 3,582 lbs, which is only about 175 lbs more than the similarly-sized 2008 Accord. Doing a ground up design around a fuel cell power-train has allowed Honda to optimize it for the purpose.
That pays off in the ride and handling of the Clarity. While some other cross-over type fuel cell vehicles definitely feel more truck like on the road, this car is pure Honda. Jonny Lieberman and I set out from the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica in one of the two FCXs and headed west on the Pacific Coast Highway toward Malibu. In a region heavily populated with Ferraris, Porsches, Aston Martins, Rolls Royces and Bentleys, the futuristic looking FCX seemed to draw remarkably little attention from other occupants of the PCH (continue reading to find out what it feels like to drive the FCX).
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Hoang Dang 8:31PM (1/29/2008)
How much does it cost for 2009 Honda FCX Clarity .
Thanks
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K 11:44AM (7/19/2008)
lease only
Allen 12:22AM (6/19/2008)
This is just another example of fooling the public.
If the car companies really wanted to get rid of gasoline they could have done it way back in the 70’s 80’s or 90’s. But then again they are not stupid. There are to many people and groups that would stop them. Oil companies, governments, etc.
First the car is exceedingly expensive.
Second....where the heck are you going to buy your hydrogen?
Third its not even in real production yet!
Does anyone really believe this is an honest effort?
Sure the technology is cool and I’m sure the engineers are talented...but really. Shame on you Honda! How much money are the oil companies paying you to keep the good stuff off the market? You could be making gas powered cars that get 70mpg to 140+mpg or cars that run on the hydrogen and oxygen split off from ordinary tap water.
Instead you push this impractical junk on us. Its not a solution its a yuppie toy for rich “environmentalists” A high teck statues symbol. This is NOT a solution its just more of the problem. How long do we have to wait for the good technology to come out in production?
There is no reason we need to pay anymore for a car that does not require gas or hydrogen or any other fuel besides water. At the vary least give us a car that gets 70 or 80 mpg with a v6 that is spacious. They can easily do that right now if they wanted too! But don’t hold your breath! Expect more expensive high teck wonder toys for the upper middle class and rich. I was in a hybrid and what a joke! It looked like a space shuttle control panel in there and it only gets 50mpg. And the owner was damb prod of it too! Give me a break!
By the way if you want more on water powered cars check out http://www.rolls-royce.150m.com/car_on_water/indexen.html Vary good info.
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RC 1:23PM (6/19/2008)
Yeah these cars are great, no emissions, no gas, I'd love to buy one, but ohh that's right I'll just pull the 10 mil out my @$$hole. Does Honda make money trees? How bout a zero emission money tree??
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weasel 8:57PM (12/05/2008)
what is the price of the car?
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Chris 11:34PM (3/09/2009)
My former vice principle has one on lease and brought it in to school to show it off. It is sick. It gets about an equivalent of 68 miles per gallon. Also the only reason it is expensive is that there are only about 10 of them on the road, and because of that they only have them for three year leases. In southern California there are only a handful of hydrogen stations but of course there are only a handful of hydrogen cars here. Lastly, the price issue. Once you start mass producing them the price of course is gonna lower, and there would not be any more price issues. The only problem with using hydrogen now is the change of industry and the loss of jobs of the millions of people in the oil industry
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Chris M 11:20PM (4/24/2009)
Um, no, the reason why it is so expensive is that the 7,000 psi carbon fiber tank is expensive, and thanks to the required platinum catalyst, the H2 fuel cell is incredibly expensive. The fuel cell alone is a half million dollars, and over half of that cost is for the platinum.
Sorry, but mass production just won't reduce the cost of platinum one bit. Even if everything else was brought down to zero cost, that's still a $300,000 car!
Battery electrics are a better option, they have a huge advantage in both efficiency and cost, and they don't require any exotic rare materials.
Tim 5:59PM (4/30/2009)
Platinum use is exponentially decreasing with each fuel cell generation. The amount of platinum being used compared to even 5-7 years ago is astonishingly less. And yes, custom FCs are expensive but the price is also drastically reducing. Li-Ion packs are the same story. 5 years ago a Li-Ion pack for a 30 mile all-electric-range vehicle was $120,000 just for the cells and not including the electronics.
Considering that some of the PHEV companies are asking $400,000+ per fleet vehicle from the stimulus package proposals, FCVs are comparable
Jim 8:35PM (4/24/2009)
After reading just about every posted comment.
I found the the uninformed, the informed, the engineers wanta be's, the conspiracy believers, and the misguided. All of which will in some way make this technology work.
These are the same people that were present during Wilber and Orvilles time.
The same people that will be here in the future.
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why not the LS2/LS7? 8:35PM (11/18/2007)
Kudos for using "The PCH" again after the ridiculous blow up last time.
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Joseph 2:17AM (11/19/2007)
"in an aluminum structural cage"
The Clarity isn't all aluminium, aluminium was only used for certain parts of the car.
Other than that, great writeup. I'm amazed how low they kept the weight. Only Honda could've done that. ;) lol
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Turbofrog 2:56AM (11/19/2007)
I'm impressed with everything except that estimated price tag. Considering Honda said a while back that $85,000 was the magic number for commercial adoption of fuel cells, if they even manage to bring it down to that price I'm worried about the real potential, when the potential for practical BEVs (i.e. the $50,000 Whitestar) is already there.
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BlackbirdHighway 8:18AM (11/19/2007)
The commercial price for hydrogen right now is about $8 a kilo. Did you have any estimates from Honda about what it will cost in the future to buy it at one the new stations, or what it will cost to make your own, either from electricity or from natural gas?
This car looks great, but I'm still not really sold on hydrogen. I think I'd like to use the new Honda PV solar panels to charge my Tesla.
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Sam Abuelsamid 8:21AM (11/19/2007)
I was told by Honda that retail stations in California are selling H2 for $5/kg
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kert 9:18AM (11/19/2007)
why the hell are they messing around with sedans, if 18-wheeler trucks would be way more appropriate use for hydrogen ?
you wont really build a BEV 18-wheeler any time soon, and given truck sizes and prices hydrogen makes way more sense to hide in there.
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CJ 10:19AM (11/19/2007)
I think it looks amazing. The silver front fender looks a bit Jetta-esque. I like the potential for these vehicles (should the technology cost decrease substantially). Renewable energy sources being utilized for hydrogen are awesome, considering the possibilities in the future with cheaper solar panels, etc. BEVs are also a coming technology that could shake the foundations of the possible hydrogen market. A BEV would wonderful for around the town use (considering, once more, if costs come down substantially). A lot of people question why hydrogen should even be considered, but a fuel that would allow for long-distance travel is necessary. Parking and recharging your car on a roadtrip for 20 minutes (like some coming vehicles propose) wouldn't be fun. I usually pull off, fill up, and get back on the road in a matter of minutes.
The future's going to be defined by a plethora of fuel types. I honestly do not believe that there will be any specific winner for some time to come. Consumers are going to be sold on different technologies, which is fine. As long as they don't hurt the environment any more than current techs, then we'll all be good.
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Jim 10:59AM (11/19/2007)
No one ever mentions the range. How far do you go for $5 worth H2
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pkuhl 11:00AM (11/19/2007)
http://www.efcf.com/reports/E17.pdf
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Jason 12:05PM (11/19/2007)
Here's a clue: stop making ugly body styles. Why is this so hard to understand? People dont want to buy a car that looks like the Prius. Why cant you put (and Im exaggerating) a Porsche body on these vehicles? Make an attractive body and more people will buy them. Its almost as if companies dont want people to buy these cars by purposefully putting unattractive styles on them.
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