The Honda FCV CONCEPT, unveiled in Tokyo in November 2014, makes its European debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The futuristically styled model, part of Honda’s contribution to the forthcoming ‘hydrogen energy society’, previews an all-new fuel cell road car that is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in the first half of 2016, and subsequently in the United States and Europe within the following 12 months.
Honda’s next-generation fuel cell vehicle will succeed the brand’s two previous production fuel cell cars, the FCX and FCX Clarity, and will feature significant improvements in performance and costs. The newly-developed fuel cell stack installed in this vehicle is 33% smaller than its predecessor, and yet realizes an output of more than 100 kW and an output density as high as 3.1 kW/L. This contributes to an overall performance improvement of approximately 60%.
At its launch next year, Honda’s third production fuel cell vehicle will be the world’s first fuel cell car with the entire powertrain, including the downsized fuel cell stack, housed under the bonnet of a conventional sedan body shape. The Honda FCV CONCEPT is equipped with a 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen storage tank that provides a cruising range of more than 700 km (435 miles). The tank can be refilled in approximately three minutes, making refueling as quick and easy as today’s conventionally-fueled cars.
As part of its holistic approach to promoting the adoption of the forthcoming ‘hydrogen energy society’, Honda continues to tackle the challenges facing the uptake of the fuel cell vehicle by developing new enabler hydrogen technologies beyond the vehicle itself. One such innovation installed in the FCV CONCEPT is the Honda Power Exporter Concept, an external power feeding function, which underwent a large number of verification tests with the FCX Clarity.
Furthermore, Honda will continue to promote the application of the Smart Hydrogen Station (SHS), a packaged hydrogen station unit that adopts Honda’s original high-differential-pressure electrolyzer. Together, the Power Exporter Concept, FCV CONCEPT and Smart Hydrogen Station embody Honda’s vision for the ‘hydrogen society’, respectively representing the ‘generate’, ‘use’ and ‘get connected’ functions. Through these interrelated technologies, Honda is working towards a CO2-free society.
Source: Honda
