Saturday, June 21, 2008

Zero-emission Car by Honda

Honda FCX Clarity runs on hydrogen and electricity. It only emits water and none of the fumes that are considered to cause global warming. Honda says that it is two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a typical gasoline car.

This new FCX Clarity is a new improvement from the previous edition introduced in 2005. With a new design of the fuel cell stack, which is the source of power in the car, engineers have managed to lighten the body, expand the interior, and improve efficiency.

The fuel cell draws energy that is synthesized through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the air. In addition, a lithium-ion battery pack provides supplemental power. The vehicle can run up to 100 miles per hour. The biggest problems to adopt fuel cell vehicles are cost and the minimum numbers of hydrogen fuel stations.

Recently, major automakers have made heavy investments in fuel cells and other alternative energy vehicles due to skyrocketing oil prices and concerns on climate change.

Currently a few dozen of this car are available for leasing. In California, a three-year lease costs $600 a month including maintenance and collision coverage. Honda has not revealed the cost to make each car and it is still unclear when it will be available for public.

Complete coverage is available from Honda Rolls Out New Zero-emission Car.

No comments: