Honda's Still Pimping Hydrogen, This Time in a Cool Car
LOS ANGELES -- Honda surprised everyone here at the L.A. Auto Show today when it rolled out a radical three-seat supercar concept vehicle that runs on hydrogen, a fuel fast becoming a footnote in automotive history.
Honda stands almost alone in clinging to the belief here at the auto show in so vocally proclaiming hydrogen is the fuel of the future, and the FC Sport that made its worldwide premiere today places the automaker firmly at the forefront of fuel cell vehicle design. Although the FC is nothing more than a styling exercise that will almost certainly never see production, that slick bodywork is the only thing revolutionary about it. All of the technology beneath the skin already exists in the FCX Clarity fuel cell sedan currently being leased to select customers in Southern California.
The Clarity raised the bar for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles when it appeared at last year's show, and Honda VP Dan Bonawitz says the company wants to show that alt fuels and zero-emissions motoring can "stir the soul." The car looks like nothing Honda's ever built before, which is exactly the point.
"People who love sports cars will still have a reason to love in a hydrogen-powered future," Bonawitz said.
Honda turned loose the designers at its Advanced Design Studio and told them to make something amazing. What they came up with, lead designer Jason Wilbur said, "speaks in our bold voice to our racing heritage and our love of building clean, efficient vehicles that are fun to drive."
Wilbur told Wired.com that he and the rest of the design crew weren't influenced by any other cars, but it's hard to look at the front end and not see the Bugatti Veryron or look at the side profile and not see a Lamborghini — hell, the FC Sport even has scissor doors like a Murcielago. That back end is a mess, though. Honda says the hexagonal shape was influenced by cellular structure, but to us it looks like a vision of the future circa 1958.
The driver sits in the middle of the car, as in the McLaren F1, while two passengers sit directly behind. The fuel cell stack is behind the back seats, while the battery pack is kept low in the middle of the car and the electric motor is just before the rear axle. Honda says most of the mass is kept between the axles to improve handling, but we'll have to take its word for it because the car doesn't actually run -- it's basically a full-size model.
Good thing, too, because there's nowhere in downtown L.A. to fuel.
POST UPDATED 12:05 a.m. Nov. 20.
Photos: Jim Merithew/Wired.com
Awesome...but totally agree with Chuck, that back end has to go.
Absolutely gorgeous, even the back end. I love it. Damn shame it's as vaporous as its fuel.
Cool car. But the rear reminds me of my kids' Male Hamster's back end.
DUDE,
ITS A CLONE WARS STORMTROOPER!
It actually looks somewhat sporty from most angles, but yes, in agreement with the sum and sundry here, it's time to get a little Preparation H for that hexagonal hemhroid, especially when it starts to jut out like that.....
great rode. its half Lambo and half WTF
nice car, you can also see some cool cars here......
I don't know if Daimler, Ford, GM, Toyota, or Nissan would agree with you that Honda's alone in promoting hydrogen as a fuel for cars. All of them are continuing development programs into hydrogen fuel cells. Honda's more visible because they've pushed to get cars on the road, into the hands of consumers. Toyota wants to squeeze more revenue from their hybrid drive investments before allowing another technology to sideline it. Ford and GM are nearly broke, so can't really afford to do anything dramatic right now in any case. I don't know what Daimler's issue is, but I'm sure they'll want to up the ante on Honda.
paint the tail red and it looks like an orangutans ass
the back end looks like a female chimpanzee in heat
It's the real Batmobile.... except it's white. Go HONDA! Bring hydrogen to the masses!
It's great except for that weird snout-thing at its rear. If that was different I could see myself owning one, but with that protruberance, no thanks.
HOT HOT HOT!!!
@Joe:
If I could upvote you, I would
Oh, I thought that was the front end.
i'll take two!!
This is what style looks like. It was designed by Americans at Honda's Advanced Design Studio in California. I'm sure Ford's best attempt at cutting edge design will be another version of the pathetic mustang series. Will we see another camaro from gm??? If the panhandler ceo's from america's auto companies want to know why they're in debt, they just need to look at the pictures above. They've ruined their companies with poor management and terrible style. I don't know anyone who wants a dodge charger or jeep.
Am I the only one that thinks this car looks like a female Lambo in heat?
yeah it does look like a stormtrooper who got really drunk and knocked up a lambo.
Electric is the future and makes much more sense. You wouldn't need a new refilling infrastructure. Companies like Toshiba have already proven that nanotech can be used in battery design to allow them to be recharged within a couple of minutes.
Electric is the future and makes much more sense. You wouldn't need a new refilling infrastructure. Companies like Toshiba have already proven that nanotech can be used in battery design to allow them to be recharged within a couple of minutes.
Someone mentioned how the American automakers suck at design, but the first thing I thought of when I saw this car was the Ford GT90 concept.
Let's put an end to this debate. Both battery and H2 fuel cell systems will be integrated into advanced generation electric vehicles. period.
Honda is not 'alone' in their efforts. They are not 'clinging'-- they are auto engineers who understand the need for various energy storage systems to power vehicles.
Hydrogen cars are electric cars.
A hydrogen economy is an economy powered by electricity.
H2 is a storage medium. Why go there? B/c that's what mother nature does. It stores energy in chemical bonds.
Electric cars will need all three systems- batteries, fuel cells and capacitors. Not one rules them all!
Garry G
Editor
TheEnergyRoadmap.com
http://www.theenergyroadmap.com
@Garry
A succinct and well thought out post, and I like your concept of referring to H2 as an energy storage medium. I would posit however, that gasoline can be considered in the same manner. Synthetic petroleum manufacturing has taken significant strides in recent years and would provide a carbon neutral source of portable energy by converting waste products into usable fuel. It has the further advantage of not requiring an entirely new distribution infrastructure, nor obsoleting the billion or so vehicles currently in use. All things being equal in terms of production, doesn't it make more sense to continue using what has become the standard of exchange in energy storage?
Chuck/Other plug-in battery advocates,
Toyota and Honda are aggressively pursuing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Check out the following article titled the "Top 25 quotes from Toyota and Honda executives criticizing plug-in battery technology":
Do you think you know more than Honda and Toyota when it comes to cars?
Greg Blencoe
Chief Executive Officer
Hydrogen Discoveries, Inc.
@AJ
Except for the whole CO2 issue, petrol, natural or syn, is super... yeah, except for the whole emissions thing. @Garry is dead on, and the sooner we embrace it and make it happen, the sooner the world can become a better place.
Chuck,
"Honda stands almost alone in clinging to the belief hydrogen is the fuel of the future."
Nice "reporting." Nine auto companies participated in the 2008 cross-country Hydrogen Road Tour this past August. Here is the link:
http://hydrogenroadtour08.dot.gov/
Greg Blencoe
Chief Executive Officer
Hydrogen Discoveries, Inc.
Chuck,
Bill Reinert and colleagues at Toyota have started a “death watch” for the Tesla, Fisker Karma, and Chevy Volt plug-in battery vehicles. Here is the link:
Greg Blencoe
Chief Executive Officer
Hydrogen Discoveries, Inc.
Cool car, but the back end looks like a monkey's butt
I don't get what is all this hype about plug-ins/electricity. They cannot do anything. You people need to get a brain. Most of our electricity comes from oil, come on take a hint.
5 years later, and it'll pull a Chevy Volt and look horrible.
HOT!!!..but the back sucks!..
This car is amazing but I agree with everybody else that the back of the car doesn't look good. This car is awesome and I hope to also see more from Honda's Insight and CR-Z.Toyota's FT-HS concept is cool as well.Also check out my website for your video gaming needs at
gameuniverse.info
Thank you
Awesomoooo..!!
Awesomoooo..!!
i'd like to hear anyone who isn't actually making a buck from the hydrogen lobby say it's a viable alternative. the infrastructure issue alone makes it a non-starter. we've been hearing for 20 years now that hydrogen is 20 years away.
The front end has styling cues taken from the UK version on the Honda Civic.
Front looks like a clone trooper.
Looks like a male rat.
paint the tail red and it looks like an orangutans ass
Posted by: patrick | Nov 19, 2008 2:15:07 PM
dude... you made me laugh out loud at work... now everyone thinks I have issues... thanks a lot! :)
@AJ
> would posit however, that gasoline can be considered in the same manner. Synthetic petroleum manufacturing has taken significant strides
Carnot cycle internal combustion engines & similar beasts have a low maximum theoretical thermodynamic efficiency (I don't remember what it is offhand, but it's not much above 20%). They also have practical problems: they're maximally efficient only in a relatively narrow rev band; they're mechanically complex; plus, higher efficiency high compression engines put out more oxides of nitrogen.
Electric engines and the associated control electronics are *much* more efficient. They're more efficient even with a fossil fuel energy source at the other end of the grid.
Once in place, you can swap out the fossil fuel energy source (your gas power station), for something cooler (say a Thorium fuelled nuclear plant or if the holy grail is attained, a fusion plant). ANy of these sources can be supplemented by wind, wave, or solar. Electric vehicles give you policy alternatives and are a much better engineering solution.
I prefer battery-powered systems, but hydrogen-fuel-celled electric cars still have efficiency advantages over gasoline IC engines, and the primary waste product is *water*.
Honda is beating up hydrogen and forcing it to be raped by strangers for money? I am confused.
Honda isn't the only automaker working with hydrogen. For example, Ford has had dozens of hydrogen internal combustion and fuel cell test vehicles on the road for several years now, operated by commercial and government organizations in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Honda's received more press for its hydrogen efforts because it's producing splashy show cars and puts test vehicles in the hands of celebs. Honda certainly is savvy about marketing its work, but it isn't the only innovator in this area.
Do you know where the power to re-charge the "Electric" cars come from? From coal and fossel fuel power plants, thats where. Any emmissions saved on the road will be made up for by additional power plants providing power to charge electric vehicles, electric cars are not the answer.
Dear Ben, it's all in the numbers. Use your eyes and your brain; *then* use your mouth. Fanx.
"Good thing, too, because there's nowhere in downtown L.A. to fuel."
Actually, of the 26 hydrogen stations in California, 18 are in the L.A. basin, including one downtown at City Hall, and 12 within a 30-mile radius of Honda's corporate/R&D facility in Torrance.
"Good thing, too, because there's nowhere in downtown L.A. to fuel."
Actually, of the 26 hydrogen stations in California, 18 are in the L.A. basin, including one downtown at City Hall, and 12 within a 30-mile radius of Honda's corporate/R&D facility in Torrance.
This wont make it out to the public. It's too amazing.
Isn't there still a 1 ton Elephant in the living room. Isn't FuelCell still extremely expensive using Platinum and all??
Its difinitely the first goatse car. Seriously ugly rear end.
i think it would be very dumb for people not to make these cars because there are those that dont want these cars beacause of the look. now tell me isnt it pretty logical to make a few more of these cars sell them and see how things turn out ?
The article author has a poorly disguised bias against Hydrogen vehicle technology.
Do we want to reduce global warming or not? The required solutions will be more radical than you could ever imagine. Tinkering around the edges, with hybrids, will do nothing but make us feel better about ourselves, like blue box recycling, or picking up litter "to do your little bit for the environment".
If you want to do something for the environment, stop a deforestation industry, or get out of your car altogether until they have a clean-source hydrogen+battery transportation infrastructure, oh and eat locally grown food.
A splash of red paint and we would have the first goatse car....