Honda to take hydrogen car into production

US Honda will commence production of its FCX hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle (FCV) in three to four years, the company announced at the North American International Motor Show.

The concept vehicle features a fuel cell system that can deliver more power in less space, using a low-floor fuel cell platform.

This is achieved through the V Flow platform, where oxygen and hydrogen flow from the top to the bottom of the fuel cell stack and the fuel cells are arranged vertically in the centre tunnel for new, high-efficiency packaging. The system is compact enough to fit into the centre tunnel and produce 100kW of power.

The key to the fuel cell is water management, with the new system taking advantage of gravity to discharge water formed during electrical generation. This improves performance in sub-zero temperatures, providing a solution to the cold-weather start-up, a key obstacle to the commercialisation of FCVs.

Honda claimed the new V Flow fuel cell stack gives ultra-low temperature start-up performance on a par with that of petrol engines.