Honda Clarity – all the shortcomings fundamental to fuel cell cars

2017 Honda Clarity fuel cell car
Credit: Auto Revival

2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell: first drive of hydrogen-powered sedan
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1109601_2017-honda-clarity-fuel-cell-first-drive-of-hydrogen-powered-sedan#image=100596869

Note the acceleration of the Clarity – 0-60 mph in 9.2 seconds. As previously recorded in these pages, Toyota's Mirai does 0-60 mph in just under 10 seconds.¹ Car & Driver recorded Hyundai’s Tucson fuel cell at 0-60 mph in 12.0 seconds!²

Take home message is, fuel cell cars have poor acceleration, & it’s fundamental to the way fuel cells work.¹

For more on the shortcomings of fuel cells in automotive applications, check out reference ¹ below, &

HichHiker’s Guide 2 Tech: “Battery electric vehicles outperform hydrogen fuel cell vehicles – even Toyota has noticed”, https://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2017/01/battery-electric-vehicles-outperform.html
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¹ HichHiker’s Guide 2 Tech: “Can fuel cells compete with batteries?”, https://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2016/01/can-fuel-cells-compete-with-batteries.html

² Car & Driver: “Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell”, https://www.caranddriver.com/hyundai/tucson-fuel-cell / vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells 2017 Honda Clarity fuel cell Clarity mid-size sedan strange exterior design cues spacious comfortable pleasant interior high blunt tail lowers wind drag accommodate large high-pressure tank hydrogen fuel crosswise behind rear seat skews the proportions rear-view mirror steeply angled rear window glass panel in the rear bulkhead vertical glass panel in the trunk lid noise vibration harshness NVH mechanical sounds Toyota Mirai pumps compressors airflow Clarity drives like large electric sedan electronics hum powered by 130-kilowatt 174-horsepower electric motor driving front wheels Clarity electricity hydrogen fuel cell fuel-cell stack power electronics hydrogen-powered hydrogen powered Clarity hydrogen range refueling True Zero fueling pump tank gauge full EPA rating range 5.5 kilograms of highly compressed hydrogen Toyota Mirai Hyundai Tucson fuel cell's Honda electric-car electric car fuel cell cost of hydrogen battery EVs battery electric vehicles BEVs emissions reductions hydrogen fuel cell vehicles HFCVs new study Stanford University corroborated common sense battery electric vehicles battery electric vehicles BEVs reduction of greenhouse gas emissions hydrogen fuel cell vehicles hydrogen ideologue quantified in detail new study communities investing in electric vehicles hydrogen infrastructure additional energy benefits community clean transportation large-scale adoption electric vehicles total energy use community buildings transportation lead author Markus Felgenhauer doctoral candidate TUM visiting scholar Stanford Global Climate and Energy Project GCEP investing in all-electric battery vehicles more economical choice reducing carbon dioxide emissions primarily lower cost significantly higher energy efficiency researchers focused their work California state consumer hydrogen fuel cell vehicles available substantial state incentives subsidies press release study researchers created future scenarios Town Los Altos Hills sunny affluent community 8,000 residents located Santa Clara County a few miles from the Stanford campus scenarios focused 10 to 20 years in the future battery and fuel cell vehicles much wider use solar power electrolyzers cost competitive electric grid scenario year 2035 assumed assumption electric vehicles town’s vehicle fleet assumed fuel cell vehicles powered by locally produced hydrogen made cheapest available electricity solar generated obtained from the grid data Los Altos Hills computational model developed study co-author Thomas Hamacher professor electrical and computer engineering TUM provided data amount of energy Los Altos Hills needs financial data cost building new energy infrastructures study coauthor Matthew Pellow former GCEP postdoctoral scholar Electric Power Research Institute cost making solar panels electrolyzers batteries model scenario 2035 most economical way meet total energy demand of the community researchers compared carbon dioxide emissions associated with each scenario two scenarios compare overall costs battery electric vehicles better than fuel cell vehicles reducing emissions Felgenhauer noted analysis showed cost competitive fuel cell vehicles priced much lower battery vehicles fuel cell vehicles significantly more expensive battery vehicles foreseeable future supposed benefit hydrogen storing surplus solar energy analysis 2035 small amount solar hydrogen storage heating lighting buildings new findings detailed paper published journal Energy work focused specific part of California researchers findings are widely applicable demonstrate future examinations of other regions Toyota Motor Corp setting new in-house unit develop electric cars strongest endorsement yet technology not embraced wholly take up rival technology pioneered remains slow Japan's biggest automaker Toyota launch unit start with four persons responsible planning strategy developing and marketing electric cars tightening global emissions regulations unit expand engineers designers other personnel various sections company announcement Toyota invested heavily hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles FCVs option developing full-sized electric vehicles rivals Nissan Motor Co Volkswagen AG Tesla Motors touted pure electric cars most viable zero-emission vehicles future Toyota reserve electric vehicles short-distance commuting high price rechargeable batteries lengthy charging times Toyota developing ultra-compact electric vehicles longer-range models product range promoting FCVs plug-in petrol-electric hybrid cars alternative conventional cars position changing hybrids fuel cells recognition battery electric cars traction CASA analyst Chris Richter fuel cells competitive alternative electric vehicles battery electric cars new unit one person each from automaker three group companies machine manufacturer Toyota Industries Corporation parts suppliers Aisin Seiki Co Denso Corp regulations lower emissions vehicles changing very quickly respond quickly spokesman Itsuki Kurosu small size new venture develop electric cars Toyota vehicles essentially emissions-free by 2050 /