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Corporate July
4, 2001 |
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| Honda to Begin Testing Fuel Cell Vehicles on Japanese Roads |
Tokyo, July 4,
2001 --- Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced today that it has received permission
from Japan's Ministry of Transport to conduct fuel cell vehicle (FCV) testing
on public roads. Testing of Honda's FCX-V3 vehicle will begin in mid-July
on the freeways and surface roads in Tochigi Prefecture and other areas.
Honda has already conducted public road tests in the United States as part
of the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP), a joint-participation project
that includes the California and Federal government agencies, energy companies,
auto manufacturers and fuel cell stack manufacturers. From the start-up
of CaFCP's test program in November, 2000, through June of this year, Honda's
fuel cell vehicles have logged more than 3,500 miles (approx. 5,600km) --
making steady progress in verifying the suitability of fuel cell vehicles
for the American market.
Honda's public road tests to begin this month in Japan will be conducted
over a wide variety of routes, including freeways and city streets, to study
the suitability of fuel cell vehicles for the Japanese market under a variety
of traffic conditions.
The FCX-V3 employs a smaller motor and fuel cell system (including control
equipment) than earlier Honda models, creating enough room for four passengers.
Other improvements, including better performance on startup and quieter
operation, have also been added for greater product appeal. A Ballard fuel
cell stack is used, fueled by pressurized hydrogen. The excellent continuous
electric power generation of the fuel cell stack and the powerful, instantaneous
discharge capabilities of an ultra-capacitor combine to achieve highly efficient
energy management resulting in much-improved takeoff and acceleration performance.
In the U.S., public road testing continues with an FCX-V3 equipped with
a stack developed by Honda.
Honda has long held that the fuel cell will be the next-generation power
plant needed to address challenges such as developing alternative fuels,
reducing exhaust gas emissions, and reducing the effects of global warming.
Honda will continue to accumulate data from road tests in the United States
and Japan toward improving its basic fuel cell technology, with the objective
of introducing a production fuel cell vehicle in 2003.
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FCX-V3 Testing
Fuel cell vehicle
on Japanese roads |
FCX-V3 System
Layout (Conceptual)
FCX-V3 Specifications
(Please note that this information is available in Japan only)
| Top |
Speed |
130km/h |
| Motor |
Max.output |
60kW (82PS) |
| |
Max.drive torque |
238Nm |
| Fuel cell stack |
Type |
Ballard PEFC (solid high-polymer) |
| |
Output |
62kW |
| Fuel |
Type |
Pressurized hydrogen gas |
| |
Storage method |
High-pressure hydrogen tank
(250 atmospheres) |
| |
Capacity |
100L |
| Cruising distance |
180km |
| Accommodating capacity |
4 people |
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