2015 Detroit Motor Show: New gen Honda FCV concept debuts in North America
Honda has showcased the latest generation of its fuel cell vehicle at the ongoing Detroit Motor Show. A vehicle that would probably make Greenpeace proud, this zero emission vehicle is an evolution of Honda's previous generation fuel cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity. Honda claims a 60 per cent increase in power density along with a 33 per cent reduction in size of the fuel stack over the outgoing FCX .
On the design front, the new FCV concept, says Honda, is even more roomier than the outgoing model. While the FCX clarity could only seat four, the new FCV can carry an additional person. The company claims to have achieved this by finding a new way to package the powertrain. This makes the Honda FCV seemingly more spacious than the four seater, Toyota Mirai FCV that has just been made commercially available in Japan.
According to the company, the car can travel an estimated 483km in between fill ups, and should only take upto three minutes to refuel when filled with hydrogen at a pressure of 70Mpa. The range, however, is subject to variations in driving conditions and driving style as well as the age and condition of the battery pack.
Honda says that it was the first company to have launched a fuel cell vehicle, way back in 2002 for the American and Japanese markets. Honda adds, that it has pledged an investment of $13.8 million to increase the number of hydrogen filling stations across the state of California.
