Inkara1
Well-Known Member
http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/
In short:
An electric car with the electricity generated by a hydrogen fuel cell. It has a range of about 270 miles and can be refilled in a few minutes. It has a top speed of about 100 miles an hour. The only emissions from the car are water and a bit of heat. Hydrogen can come from a variety of sources, meaning it can still be found should fossil fuels run out.
The main downsides right now are the cost and the lack of hydrogen stations around the country. It's going to initially be available for a lease of $600 per month, and although that includes collision insurance and maintenance, that's still pretty steep. Also, it's limited to a few areas of Southern California to allow access to fuel and service. That's all as of today, though... as demand grows, more hydrogen stations will open, making a trip from, say, LA to Vegas possible, and Honda has dealers all over the nation, and it would be easy enough to train the service departments and send the parts out as needed. Hopefully time will improve the cost to a level where the average new car buyer can afford it.
Should those two factors be ironed out, cars such as the FCX Clarity will make a much better answer than plug-in electrics such as the GM EV1, which had too little range and took too long to recharge to be commercially viable, and hybrids, which are a nice middle step but still use gas and still emit greenhouse gases.
Remaining to be seen: long-term reliability of the components of the vehicle, how long the fuel cell will last, and what replacement would cost.
In short:
An electric car with the electricity generated by a hydrogen fuel cell. It has a range of about 270 miles and can be refilled in a few minutes. It has a top speed of about 100 miles an hour. The only emissions from the car are water and a bit of heat. Hydrogen can come from a variety of sources, meaning it can still be found should fossil fuels run out.
The main downsides right now are the cost and the lack of hydrogen stations around the country. It's going to initially be available for a lease of $600 per month, and although that includes collision insurance and maintenance, that's still pretty steep. Also, it's limited to a few areas of Southern California to allow access to fuel and service. That's all as of today, though... as demand grows, more hydrogen stations will open, making a trip from, say, LA to Vegas possible, and Honda has dealers all over the nation, and it would be easy enough to train the service departments and send the parts out as needed. Hopefully time will improve the cost to a level where the average new car buyer can afford it.
Should those two factors be ironed out, cars such as the FCX Clarity will make a much better answer than plug-in electrics such as the GM EV1, which had too little range and took too long to recharge to be commercially viable, and hybrids, which are a nice middle step but still use gas and still emit greenhouse gases.
Remaining to be seen: long-term reliability of the components of the vehicle, how long the fuel cell will last, and what replacement would cost.