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Health & Fitness

Honda Debuts Fuel Cell Car at LA Auto Show

Recently Honda Motor Co Ltd achieved their goal to get ahead in the development of a vehicle with advanced technology to reduce emissions by revealing a new fuel cell electric vehicle that seats five at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. Currently the vehicle is being referred to as the “FCEV Concept”, as it does not yet have a name. The Fuel Cell vehicle is set to launch in the U.S. and Japan in 2015, however, it is unknown how well people will respond to the idea of a Fuel Cell vehicle since there are currently only 10 public hydrogen fueling stations nationwide. The Fuel Cell car is expected to be available in showrooms after 2015.

 

Honda and Fuel Cell Cars

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What stands out about Honda’s design is the new fuel cell powertrain which is located in a single area of the vehicle, unlike many other hybrid electric vehicles. Components of the engine are usually spread throughout the car. How it works is a stack of fuel cells merge hydrogen with oxygen in the air instead of burning gas. What this does is produces the electricity needed to run the electric motor, eliminating the need for a battery. Conveniently, the only tailpipe emission is water vapor, which makes for an extremely environmentally friendly concept. Another feature of the FCEV is that it is said to have a range of over 300 miles for each fill up, giving drivers a very time-efficient option. The process of filling up at a hydrogen fueling station only takes about three minutes total, and the fuel cell vehicles also have the ability to run about five times longer than other electric vehicles.

Honda has always strived to create efficient vehicles. The Honda Insight, their first hybrid, continues to hold the record for highest fuel economy among vehicles with no plug-in battery. Even though it is known that fuel cell vehicles are not a prominent option in the U.S. currently, Honda is working to increase efficient vehicles in their mission for the future.

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Lois Price is a Huntington Honda customer service representative at Huntington Honda, the number one Long Island Honda dealer.

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