Honda Unveils Zero-Emission Automobile
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car Emits Only Water; Limited Number Headed To Southern California
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Hydrogen Honda Hits Highway
Honda is rolling out its newest green car. The FXC "Clarity" is a zero emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. It's sure to make those high gas prices vaporize. Rich Demuro gives us a sneak peek.
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The FCX Clarity is part of Honda's plan to keep pace with rivals in green technology. It also plans to launch a gas-electric hybrid-only model, as well as hybrid versions of the Civic, the sporty CR-Z and Fit subcompact. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
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The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the gases believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.
Honda expects to lease out a "few dozen" units this year and about 200 units within a year. In California, a three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.
Among the first customers are actress Jamie Lee Curtis and filmmaker husband Christopher Guest, actress Laura Harris, film producer Ron Yerxa, as well as businessmen Jon Spallino and Jim Salomon.
"It's so smooth," said Harris, who played villainness Marie Warner on the hit TV show "24." "It's like a future machine, but it's not."
Harris, Spallino and Yerxa were flown to the ceremony, courtesy of Honda. Yerxa says he's excited to show off the car and believes there's "a lot of interest."
The biggest obstacles standing in the way of wider adoption of fuel cell vehicles are cost and the dearth of hydrogen fuel stations. For the Clarity's release in California, Honda said it received 50,000 applications through its Web site but considered only buyers living near hydrogen fuel stations in Torrance, Santa Monica and Irvine.
"This is indeed a historic day for both Honda and American Honda - a new chapter in our nearly fifty-year history in America," said John Mendel, a senior vice president at America Honda Motor Co. at a morning ceremony here. "It's an especially significant day for American Honda as we plant firm footsteps toward the mainstreaming of fuel cell cars."
Initially, however, the Clarity will go only to a chosen few starting July and then launch in Japan this fall.
Although Honda Motor Co. was the first Japanese automaker to launch a gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the U.S. in 1999, it has been outpaced by the dominance of Toyota's popular Prius.
Toyota announced in May that it has sold more than 1 million Prius hybrids, while both the Honda Insight and the hybrid Accord have been discontinued due to poor sales.
The FCX Clarity is part of Honda's plan to keep pace with rivals in green technology. It also plans to launch a gas-electric hybrid-only model, as well as hybrid versions of the Civic, the sporty CR-Z and Fit subcompact.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



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an inadequate supply...........this has to be the stupidest reason I''ve ever heard! A simple home based H2 generator would surfice!
Right on!!!! and thanks for the H2 gen comment.
While the oil and auto lobby play with higher gas mileage cars --which doesn''t get us away from their precious black gold--others around the world are inventing new proplulsion ideas. One is going to stick. In recent decades, anything new re: lower consumption or savings, the ideas were bought up by big oil, and put in a vault. Remember the end of the first Indy Jones movie where his prize ancient find was stuck on a shelf???
How much belief in Allah and God does anyone from Dubai really have? Religion is used against the people as a form of social control.
Lease? So no ownership, they will be taking them back. Surprising similarities to the EV-1 and at $600/month (minus tax incentive) for the movie stars having such a hard time affording these gas prices. What tax incentive does Honda get for these cars?
Imagine these cars with tax reimbursed solar panels and a pond (or rain catch) on your property. They obviously are not planning on keeping these out there though.
Honda is working on that as well.
In 2003 Honda established an experimental Home Energy Station that generates hydrogen from natural gas for use in fuel cell vehicles, while supplying ...
http://world.honda.com/FuelCell/FCX/station/
If we had only spent the 3 trillion dollars we''re spending in Iraq on developing technologies like this, we''d be exporting it to the world by now. Instead we''re exporting blood and dollars to import oil. This is the result of so called "conservative" leadership. Instead of looking after our nations future and security, they''ve been taking care of oil companies.
Thanks Bushies!
Honda is working on that as well.
In 2003 Honda established an experimental Home Energy Station that generates hydrogen from natural gas for use in fuel cell vehicles, while supplying ...
http://world.honda.com/FuelCell/F
CX/station/
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Posted by neonink at 10:19 AM : Jun 16, 2008
This idea, while working in the short term, is really a non-starter for me. The use of natural gas implies an open carbon cycle. Unless the carbon is cleanly sequestered somehow we are not really fixing the long term problem of CO2.
After all the huge profits American car manufacturers made in the last 20 years selling SUVs and Trucks, Japaneses car manufacturers lead the world to the future.
Shame on Wall Streets and Americans.
I have owned several cars from 1963-1969 full size with small V8 motors that got at least 20 mpg. There hasn''t been much improvement in 45 years
Al Gore aside, reducing our CO2 emissions can do nothing but be a positive. What bothers me about CO2 is that it is not in equilibrium in our atmosphere. It has been on a steady increase since the beginning of the industrial era. As the Earth is more or less a closed system, everything that is done on the planet somehow affects something else. We can not continue to increase CO2 in the atmosphere without something happening eventually. I''m not suggesting here what that may be, but something will happen.
Ford did, check the date:
http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=19297
You are simply a lunatic. You don''t have to be a fan of Al Gore or a believer in the green movement to want to pollute less. I just understand people like you. Less polluting good wether or not you believe in global warming.
Lobbyists, special interests...it''s all corrupt.
While we''re at it, why don''t we tap into some of the abundant oil under our OWN country, and ease the pain?
Posted by ouwxquack at 01:31 PM : Jun 16, 2008
Actually water vapor reflects sunlight back into space before it hits the ground, thus reducing heating.
While it is true that water vapor (clouds) holds heat near the ground at night it also reflects heat back into space during the day. Try to convince the folks in Seattle or San Francisco that water vapor is causing their cities to heat up. I think that they would laugh you out of town.
electric cars work
why can''t we build small nuclear power plants?
we put them on submarines and carriers.
Don''t tell me we don''t have the technology.
Big Oil just doesn''t want us to stop buying their oil.
http://www.spectrum.ieee.or
g/apr07/5012/2
PUT UP OR SHUT UP. where does electricity come from. How much is lost in the transfer of said electricity. GET REAL.
Posted by hungry1968
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The Wall Street Journal has reported on the auto manufacturing production facilities moving to the USA from Europe.
Also, if there is competition for fuels,prices will become cheaper.
That in itself is a win-win situation.
Posted by hungry1968 at 04:37 PM : Jun 16, 2008
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Amen to that statement!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.spectrum.ieee.or
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Exactly. There are hobby hydrogen car enthusiasts that currently are using home made hydrogen and getting ranges commonly in the 100 mile range and some of the better financially endowed use high pressure tanks and are in the 200 + mile range.
What is exciting is the hobbyists that are producing their hydrogen with solar cells.
Well, there''s your problem. How the heck is the gov''t going to tax, and the corporations make a profit on, something that everyone can make at home?
Posted by hober_mallow at 05:50 PM : Jun 16, 2008
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Toll booths,odometer,hobbs meter,etc.....
Posted by hober_mallow at 05:50 PM : Jun 16, 2008
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nToll booths,odometer,hobbs meter,etc.....
Thank you. You are correct. That still leaves out the corporations'' profits.
Consensus
Actually, that''''s not how water vapor works. As a meteorologist, I suggest reading about positive feedback loops caused by water vapor.
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Posted by ouwxquack at 02:55 PM : Jun 16, 2008
Actually, I have. Water vapor seems to only cause a significant positive feedback loop if there is no cloud formation. Currently there is very little consensus on the resultant effects of increased atmospheric water vapor as clouds usually form thus reducing the feedback.
I am fairly certain that a sunny day over any given ocean will add more water vapor to the atmosphere than many millions of fuel cell vehicles. I would opt for a few more clouds over the continued use of fossil fuels. In other words, vapor emissions from all but the most concentrated areas of use will be very difficult to measure above background.
Posted by hangelle
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There aren''t any that I can find. I joined some internet newsgroups/clubs and the scammers are there too.
So buyer beware.
Posted by hangelle
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If you want to see what some of your tax dollars have been up to here''s a couple of suggestions.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/tech_validation/h2_manual.html
http://www.eere.energy.gov/
Posted by hangelle
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Here''s about the closest I came to a conversion step-by-step.
http://www.clean-air.org/Hydrogen%20Cobra%20Story/Hydrogen%20Cobra.htm
Never Mind.
This is technology we need. Not more oil dependence or drilling. The US government should be helping with this...helping cars get to Americans, helping stations get established. NOW not later!!!
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