On Oct. 8, Honda is joining the nation in celebrating National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day to raise awareness of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing the nation’s energy security.
The date is a reference to hydrogen’s atomic weight of 1.008.
Honda has more than 450 Clarity Fuel Cell vehicles in the hands of customers. At 366 miles, the Clarity Fuel Cell has the highest EPA driving-range rating of any zero-emission vehicle in America, including fuel cell and battery electric vehicles, and an EPA fuel-economy rating of 68 MPGe combined, according to the automaker.
The automaker said it aims to have two-third of its global vehicle sales comprised of electrified vehicles, including fuel cells, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and battery-electric vehicles, by 2030.
“Honda envisions a day when fuel cell cars are the norm, and personal mobility is no longer incompatible with a clean and sustainable environment,” said Steven Center, vice president of Connected and Environmental Business Development at American Honda. “That’s our dream, and that’s what powers our ongoing efforts to knock down the barriers to its mass market appeal.”
Honda views fuel cells as the ultimate zero-emissions vehicle technology, and the Clarity Fuel Cell offers green early adopters the latest technology to be on the forefront of “what’s next,” according to the automaker.
Honda began deliveries of the 2017 Clarity Fuel Cell in December 2016 in select California markets, where a consumer-friendly network of hydrogen stations continues to grow, and has delivered more than 450 vehicles.
Since the introduction of its first-generation fuel cell vehicle, the FCX, in 2002, Honda has made significant technological advancements in fuel cell vehicle operation in both hot and sub-freezing weather, while meeting customer expectations and safety regulations, the automaker noted.
Honda has deployed fuel cell vehicles in the United States, Germany and Japan, including the FCX Clarity, which was named the 2009 World Green Car. Honda has delivered these vehicles to individual retail consumers in the United States since 2005, and collected valuable feedback concerning real-world use of both fuel cell vehicles and public hydrogen-refueling stations.
Honda also is participating in multiple ventures to grow a consumer-friendly network of hydrogen stations. This includes a nearly $14 million investment with FirstElement Fuel to create 12 stations in the Los Angeles and San Francisco metro areas.
Recently Honda announced with Shell and Toyota the introduction of seven new hydrogen-refueling stations in Northern California, working toward the state’s goal of 100 stations.
Honda is active in associations such as the Hydrogen Council, the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association, California Fuel Cell Partnership and H2 USA, all of which share the same vision and goals “to create the conditions necessary for hydrogen-powered mobility and the hydrogen economy to thrive and grow.”
