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| Honda, to popularize clean energy vehicles characterized with extremely low CO2 and other emissions, has improved the performance of electric and natural gas vehicles. Also, by utilizing the technologies accumulated in the development process, we promoted the practical use of fuel cell vehicles. In July 2002, our fuel cell vehicle became the first in the world to obtain an approval for commercialization from the U.S. government. Furthermore, we obtained an approval for the car also in Japan and started its sales in a limited quantity both in Japan and the United States in December of the same year. |
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![Next-generation technology target:
To introduce fuel cell electric vehicles into the market by the end of 2002 [Achieved]](image/title_03.gif) |
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Honda believes that the value of environment-friendly technologies will increase through the use of such techologies by a greater number of people. Based on this belief, we have been developing alternative energy vehicles giving the first priority to the improvement of their performance to make it comparable to that of vehicles currently available on the market, including speed, accelerating ability, and safety in the event of a collision. For example, we started to develop the technologies for electric vehicles (EVs) in the latter half of the 1980’s and released the Honda EV Plus in 1996 and the natural gas-powered CIVIC GX in 1997. Subsequently in 2000, we released the remodeled and improved CIVIC GX as the New CIVIC GX. All of these products embody Honda’s efforts to achieve a performance comparable to that of traditional models, including a longer cruising range and more space for passengers. Further, since 1990, we have been participating in a world solar car race as a challenge to new technologies. The race provided us with an opportunity to increase the sophistication of various technologies for higher energy efficiency and provide feedback to EV technologies. We utilize the technologies accumulated through diversified methods in combination for the development of fuel cell electric vehicles. |
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Honda unveiled experimental fuel cell electric vehicles named
the “FCX-V1” and “FCX-V2,” and their
prototype “FCX” in 1999. This vehicle uses fuel cells as its power source.
The chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, whose principle is just the
opposite of the electrolysis of water, creates electricity that runs the motor.
Fuel cells generate electricity by a chemical reaction that occurs at a low temperature,
and the energy conversion efficiency is as high as
60%. In addition, the reaction produces only water
and generates almost no CO or NOx. Honda has been developing two types of fuel
cell electric vehicles: one is a type that uses pure hydrogen as fuel, stored
in a hydrogen-absorbing alloy, and the other is a type that uses methanol as raw
material and retrieves hydrogen from the methanol using a reformer. |
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In 2000, Honda released the FCX-V3 that installed a stack manufactured by Balard and used high-pressure hydrogen as fuel. The riding capacity was improved from two to four by downsizing the system. In 2001, the FCX-V4, which is an experimental fuel cell electric vehicle achieving a maximum speed of 140 km/h and a cruising range on a single charge of 315 km, which are comparable to the performance of vehicles available on the market, was developed. We have already started test runs on the public roads for the FCX-V3 and FCX-V4, both in the U.S. and in Japan. |
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Honda continued the development of the FCX to introduce it
into the market at the end of 2002. As a result, in July 2002, the FCX became
the first car in the world to obtain an approval for commercialization from the
U.S. government. In October of the same year, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. reached
a basic agreement with the city of Los Angeles on the world’s first sale of fuel
cell vehicles. Also in Japan, the FCX was approved by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure
and Transport in November, and the leasing of the vehicle was started both in
the U.S. and in Japan in December 2002. |
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 In 2003, Honda developed a new-generation fuel cell stack, the Honda FC Stack. With this high-output but much more compact fuel cell stack, it is possible to start the vehicle at minus 20 degrees Celsius, a feat that has proved difficult with traditional fluorine-based electrolyte membranes. The Honda FC Stack was applied to the FCX, and after its first approval by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Japan, the stack underwent starting tests at temperatures below zero in Hokkaido as well as driving tests on public roads at low temperatures. In 2004, leasing of the FCX equipped with the Honda FC Stack began in the state of New York in the northeastern part of the United States, followed by the first leasing of an FCX vehicle to an individual customer in 2005. Subsequently, in 2007, an FCX was delivered to U.S. actress Q’orianka Kilcher. Honda has leased a total of 34 FCX vehicles in Japan and the United States (as of March 2007). |
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 In order to identify the technological problems that need to be solved for fuel cell vehicles, Honda has been conducting experiments on hydrogen production and refueling stations, taking various approaches. First in 2001, we began experimental operation of a solar-powered water electrolysis hydrogen station in Los Angeles, which generates hydrogen from water using solar-generated electricity. Subsequently, in 2003, the station was improved by the adoption of the water electrolysis module manufactured by Honda and next-generation thin film solar cell panels. Specifically, the hydrogen production efficiency was improved and CO2 emissions from the manufacture of the station were substantially reduced.
In addition, we conducted experiments on the Home Energy Station (HES), which has both hydrogen refueling and cogeneration functions, jointly with the U.S. Plug Power Inc. This station is capable of fully refueling an FCX series fuel cell vehicle in several minutes. It generates hydrogen from natural gas and supplies hydrogen fuels as well as heat and electricity. Subsequently, in 2004, we began experimenting to create a second-generation model, which is a single-component unit that has been reduced to less than half the size of the original HES in cubic capacity through natural gas reformation and downsizing of the pressure device. We have already developed the third-generation HES, which is approximately 30% smaller than the second-generation HES and has a roughly 25% increase in power generation and reduction in startup time. In addition, compared with the second-generation system, the hydrogen generation and storing capacity have been improved 50% by the adoption of a new high-performance natural gas reformer. |
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 Since 2000, Honda has been working with FuelMaker of Canada to complete the development of the Phill natural gas home refueling appliance. The Phill system will enable refueling in a household garage. Using the Phill, a Civic GX can be refueled in eight hours with enough natural gas to drive for approximately 100 miles (160 km). The leasing of the system was started in California, United States in 2005. |
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