Honda unveils Japanese FCX Clarity - now with more heated seats!
by Sebastian Blanco on Jul 2nd 2008 at 11:57AM 
Honda has taken the wraps off of the Japanese version of the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity and announced that the sleek burgundy sedan will be available for lease in Honda's home country come November.
The Japanese FCX Clarity's specifications (available after the jump) are mostly the same as the American version, with two noticeable differences. First, and high on the list of items everyone is talking about, the Japanese model has climate-controlled seats up front and in back. That's huge. The other item is that Honda is now claiming a range of 620km (385 miles). That's a lot more than the 270 miles that the American version is rated at, but the numbers for the Japanese model were done in 10-15 mode using Honda calculations and the American numbers were calculated with "Honda in-house data calculated using previously approved EPA methodology." Since the American FCX holds its 4.1 kg of hydrogen at 5000psi while the Japanese version stores 171 liters at 35MPa (these are two different ways to say the same thing), I think the difference comes in the testing and calculating rather than any updated technology. The 10-15 cycle is a predominantly urban cycle which benefits from the regen capability provided by the lithium ion battery. The lower U.S. range is based on combined urban/highway cycles with 2008 test procedure.
Gallery: Honda FCX Clarity Japan Model
[Source: Honda]
PRESS RELEASE
Honda Unveils Japan Model of FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Vehicle - Leasing in Japan to begin November 2008
TOKYO, Japan, July 2, 2008– Honda Motor Co., Ltd. unveiled the Japan model of its FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, which will also be displayed at the Environmental Showcase at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit that begins July 7, 2008. Leasing in Japan is scheduled to begin November 2008.
Initially, leases are to be limited to government agencies and certain corporate customers. Numerous FCX Clarity events are to be held beginning in 2009 at which the public will have the opportunity to come in contact with the FCX Clarity and gain a greater appreciation of the appeal of fuel cell vehicles.
Designed as a dedicated fuel cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity is powered by the Honda V Flow fuel cell stack. Thanks to the innovative layout of the fuel cell power plant, the FCX Clarity offers superior design, packaging and driving performance. Emitting no CO2 in operation, the FCX Clarity offers not only the ultimate in environmental responsibility but also real-world performance and appeal.
The new lightweight, compact Honda V Flow fuel cell stack offers significantly enhanced performance, with an output of 100kW (compared to 86kW in the conventional FC Stack), as well as enhanced cold climate performance that enables it to start in temperatures as low as -30°C. The lightweight and compact design of the FC Stack allows it to be arranged in the vehicle's center tunnel for a more spacious interior and an elegant, low-riding sedan form. Cruising range has been extended 30% to 620km.* The Japan model also features climate-controlled seats in the rear as well as in the front.
* In 10-15 mode (Honda Calculations)
The combined sales plan for Japan and U.S. calls for a few dozen units a year and about 200 units within three years.
< New Technology >
- Honda Bio-Fabric: the world's first automotive interior covering made from plant-based materials
- Climate-controlled seats (front and rear)
- Compact, easy-to-operate transmission featuring Shift-by-Wire technology (a first for Honda)
- An extra rear window that enhances rearward visibility-privacy is maintained thanks to a layer of polycarbonate film that conceals the trunk room
FCX Clarity: Principal Specifications (Japan model)
| Number of occupants | 4 | ||
| Power train | Motor | Max. output | 100kW |
| Max. torque | 256N·m | ||
| Type | AC synchronous electric motor (permanent magnet) |
||
| Fuel cell stack | Type | PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) |
|
| Max. output | 100kW | ||
| Lithium ion battery | Voltage | 288V | |
| Fuel | Type | Compressed hydrogen | |
| Storage | Pressurized hydrogen tank (35MPa) |
||
| Tank capacity | 171 liters | ||
| Dimensions (L × W × H) | 4,835 × 1,845 × 1,470mm | ||
| Vehicle weight | 1,635kg | ||
| Maximum speed | 160km/ h | ||
| Energy storage | Lithium ion battery | ||
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
meme 12:34PM (7/02/2008)
Hey, when you're subsidizing a vehicle by this much, you might as well go all the way. Hopefully the seats are heated not by electricity, but by the ridiculous amount of energy being wasted by the fuel cell stack.
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giyad 5:59PM (7/02/2008)
why do you guys bash hydrogen so much... sure its less efficient than batteries, but its definitely more efficient than gas. As it is, hydrogen would make as a great range extender, and in order for that to happen we would still need an infrastructure. Batteries these days can't recharge in 5-10 minutes, unless you have a quick charger, and a garage. Also, when on a road trip, how do you expect to fill up the car? Knock on someones door and ask to recharge? What about the strain on the power grid when everyones switched over to electric.. there are arguments to both sides, but sure, the best argument against hydrogen is that its less efficient.
Anyway, no need to go back into the whole hydrogen vs battery argument, because I think the best solution is a hybrid of the two. The question should be, is hydrogen a better alternative to gas, and should we go forward with it? What do you think about that?
Like I said, we need the hydrogen infrastructure to be in place so that we can move on with this anyway, and I think personally that California is actually making progress.
Jared 9:00AM (7/04/2008)
Why do we bash hydrogen? Because it is completely impractical as a fuel for cars. It takes a great deal of energy just to extract the hydrogen, for starters. Not only is there no network for distributing hydrogen, but distributing and storing hydrogen is also very expensive.
This car is nothing more than greenwashing by Honda.
Ignatius 1:19PM (7/02/2008)
Oh come on... why won't they make COOLED SEATS?
Who wants a sticky back while trying to drive during the summer?
I'd rather be freezing cold than drowning-in-sweat hot.
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Dustin 12:16PM (7/03/2008)
Climate-controlled seats means heated AND cooled. Your wish is Honda's command.
Danielle Andre 2:13PM (7/02/2008)
Is it just me, or does it look alot like the Prius?
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jake 2:45PM (7/02/2008)
No, it's not just you, it's been well established the Clarity looks like the Prius, for both aerodynamics and marketing reasons (people want their alternatively fueled cars to stand out a little, and this shape supposedly makes it look more futuristic).
a.brien 3:16PM (7/02/2008)
This is the best car in the world right now. It's priced at 600$ month because it's a deluxe ride. A fuelcell car is less expensive to built maintain and to fuel. Sure at the very beginning there is new costs to build an assenbly line and new tooling but after that it's a cheaper and better technology.
The world right now don't deserve such refinement, luxury, ease of use and the prestige associated with such a statement put in reality. The world right now is auto-punishing himself having refusing jesus 2008 years ago and is deciding if yes or not we can continu to live ??? a stupid attitude but it's what i observed.
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meme 3:35PM (7/02/2008)
"It's priced at 600$ month because it's a deluxe ride."
A heavily *subsidized* $600 a month at that!
"A fuelcell car is less expensive to built maintain and to fuel. "
Wrong on all counts. Current fuel cells cost around $5/W (cars need many kilowatts for sustained speed and tens of kilowatts for peak speed -- do the math), and hydrogen, especially non-natural gas hydrogen, is quite expensive.
You do realize that fuel cells contain platinum, right? How do you expect mass production to fix that? It's not like it's optional; it's the catalyst. People have been looking for cheaper hydrogen-absorbing catalyst materials for ages (many other industries want them, too), and none have been forthcoming. You're stuck with things like platinum, palladium, etc.
meme 3:58PM (7/02/2008)
"It's priced at 600$ month because it's a deluxe ride."
A heavily *subsidized* $600 a month at that!
"A fuelcell car is less expensive to built maintain and to fuel. "
Wrong on all counts. Current fuel cells cost around $5/W (cars need many kilowatts for sustained speed and tens of kilowatts for peak speed -- do the math), and hydrogen, especially non-natural gas hydrogen, is quite expensive.
You do realize that fuel cells contain platinum, right? How do you expect mass production to fix that? It's not like it's optional; it's the catalyst. People have been looking for cheaper hydrogen-absorbing catalyst materials for ages (many other industries want them, too), and none have been forthcoming. You're stuck with things like platinum, palladium, etc.
CM 5:37PM (7/04/2008)
The lease is priced at $600 per month because it is heavily subsidized - a lease based on the true cost would be considerably higher, about $5,000 per month! The car is not for sale, the 100Kw fuel cell alone is about a half million dollars each. Nor can "mass production" make it affordable, most of the fuel cell cost is for the platinum and special polymer membranes in that fuel cell. Then there is the costly carbon fiber high pressure tanks. We could debate whether it is "better technology", but in no way can it ever be considered "cheaper".
I get the distinct feeling that a.brien has confused cheap homemade electrolysis cells with fuel cells, they are not the same. Electrolysis uses electricity to split molecules into fuel (H2) and oxidizer (O2), but fuel cells do the opposite, chemically reacting fuel with oxidizer to produce electricity. Electrolysers can be built cheap with plumbing parts and carbon rod or corrosion resistant metal electrodes. Fuel cells, on the other hand, require platinum or other rare metals for catalysts and special membranes or corrosion resistant construction, raising the price considerably.
A.Brien, what relevance does Jesus have to "refinement, luxury, ease of use and prestige", or to automobiles? Does Jesus drive a luxury car?
SteveCT 3:58PM (7/02/2008)
We all keep saying this, meme, but still hydrogen gets massive subsidies, and still people like a.brien think it's a great idea. Somehow people haven't picked up on the fact that this was yet another of Bush's terrible ideas. Perhaps because so few people were watching that speech?
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giyad 6:00PM (7/02/2008)
why do you guys bash hydrogen so much... sure its less efficient than batteries, but its definitely more efficient than gas. As it is, hydrogen would make as a great range extender, and in order for that to happen we would still need an infrastructure. Batteries these days can't recharge in 5-10 minutes, unless you have a quick charger, and a garage. Also, when on a road trip, how do you expect to fill up the car? Knock on someones door and ask to recharge? What about the strain on the power grid when everyones switched over to electric.. there are arguments to both sides, but sure, the best argument against hydrogen is that its less efficient.
Anyway, no need to go back into the whole hydrogen vs battery argument, because I think the best solution is a hybrid of the two. The question should be, is hydrogen a better alternative to gas, and should we go forward with it? What do you think about that?
Like I said, we need the hydrogen infrastructure to be in place so that we can move on with this anyway, and I think personally that California is actually making progress.
Ignatius 6:05PM (7/02/2008)
If you take out the hydrogen component of a hydrogen powered vehicle, you have an electric car.
Hydrogen is converted to electricity, stored in a battery and an electric engine drives the vehicle. Why do we need this useless step with hydrogen?
Electric all the way.
giyad 6:53PM (7/02/2008)
"Batteries these days can't recharge in 5-10 minutes, unless you have a quick charger, and a garage. Also, when on a road trip, how do you expect to fill up the car? Knock on someones door and ask to recharge? What about the strain on the power grid when everyones switched over to electric.. "
Serge 6:56PM (7/02/2008)
giyad: efficiency of fuel-cell propulsion tech is only a secondary argument against it. The primary argument is *cost*; an impractically high one that is.
As it stands today, a fuel-cell vehicle is as practical for ground transportation as is Concorde for air transport.
CM 5:59PM (7/04/2008)
Yes, giyad, batteries can't be recharged in 5 to 10 minutes without a "quick charger", but H2 cars can't be refilled at all without a H2 refueling pump system that costs considerably more! On a road trip, how would you expect to fill up a H2 car? Unlike an electric, you really can't ask for a refill from the nearest home outlet! As for the "strain on the power grid", didn't you realize that making H2 by electrolysis takes 3x more electricity than a plug-in? "Straining the power grid" is really just another argument against H2 cars!
If an objective is to displace fossil fuel use with renewables, then we really shouldn't waste our limited renewable energy on the less efficient H2 option.
Serge 6:48PM (7/02/2008)
Does anyone know what the battery pack capacity on FCX Clarity is?
If it is fairly large, then one should be able to plug this car in to take advantage of cheaper and more available fuel (electricity) for commuting purposes.
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Dustin 12:27PM (7/03/2008)
I never understand all these anti-hydrogen comments. As another poster said, isn't it better than gasoline? It's at least one solution. If they stopped building hydrogen cars because of people who don't like hydrogen cars, and stopped building electric cars because of people who don't like electric cars (and yes, they very much exist), and stopped building natural gas cars because of people who don't like natural gas cars... what would be left? Why, gasoline cars, of course! So maybe instead of using every "FCX has climate controlled seats" headline to post your lame "Hydrogen sux!" comments, why not be more positive and get into the electric car field, if that is your expertise? Hell, even CREATE the electric car of the future! Make a positive difference in the alternative energy transportation of your choice rather than sitting at the computer typing on forums.... ultimately doing nothing more than verbally tearing down all forms of non-petrol transportation.
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a.brien 5:51PM (7/03/2008)
Well said.
There is a big anti-hydrogen gang in the energy domain. The reality of the cheapness of producing it and the fact that it is an ullimited source of energy make some people sick, it's a sad fact.
It's not polluting and can be use for the next millions years without any problems unlike petrol. The cars powered by water that we can see on youtube are real and working.
To understand the anti-hydrogen gang, just imagine that you are living by making people sick like Gm and ford and toyota and exxonmobil then you get sick by the idea of knowing that people can survive to it.
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