After making its global debut in Tokyo last year, the Honda FCV Concept bowed in Detroit for its North American unveiling.
Power for the concept comes from a fuel-cell stack yielding over 100 kW of output, with density at 3.1 kW/L. The result is a 60 percent improvement in power over the previous FCX Clarity’s stack; the FCV Concept’s stack is 33 percent smaller than the former’s powerplant, as well.
Driving range is expected to be north of 300 miles per tank, with refueling to take between three to five minutes at a pressure rate of 70 MPa.
The entire stack sits under the hood when compared to the Clarity’s fuel-storage tunnel. As a result, the Concept can seat five instead of four occupants.
Sales of the production-ready FCV will begin March 2016 in Honda’s home market, with the United States and Europe receiving theirs sometime thereafter.
Why can’t fuel cell cars look like…normal cars…
At least this one doesn’t look like it’s going to rip your face off
The Honda Clarity looked pretty nice. They must have fired that design team.
“http://thenewswheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Honda-FCX-Clarity.jpg”
ew, for good reason
What is about car designers that they really hate front ends?
That is approaching Toyota/Lexus fugly.
But, the competition is not far behind.
“What is about car designers that they really hate front ends?”
What other area have they got to work with to produce some shock & awe?
The rest of the car must be an aero blob, ideally no taller than your belt buckle for sedans.
The futuristic look is clearly inspired by Star Wars Storm Troopers.
That said, it would have looked entirely at home in Back To The Future Part II.
On another subject, the hood appears to include most of the grille assembly. Maybe the Triumph Spitfire engine access concept is returning!
And when it talks it’s going to look just like one of South Park’s Canadians.
I think there could be a cut above the chrome strip that includes the logo. But from the side that dark area appears to have texture so I have no idea.
Look at me!!!!! I’m a Honda!!!!!!
Juvenile, star ship trooper look with the obligatory fake brake cooling ducts. How long must we suffer this fake duct fad?
I like this. Unique look for a unique vehicle with a different technology.
Reminds me of: http://media.nu.nl/m/m1oxgiaavcs7_std320.jpg
I quite like it. It’s different and interesting without being downright ugly, like the Toyota Mirai. I hope the production version ends up being pretty close to this concept. And I have to say that it should have been badged as an Acura, especially if the price ends up being anything near what Toyota is asking for the Mirai…
Two words: Not Pretty.
Additionally, pump to wheel efficiency is likely no better than ICE and perhaps worse.
dat front end…so much this…
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjowls.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F07%2Fdefinition-of-jowl-education.html&ei=fXG1VLSzL8bIPMCFgKgC&bvm=bv.83339334,d.ZWU&psig=AFQjCNGo1ZkOJdMa5P7mqujd5PojUxOV8A&ust=1421263416007105
Keep waiting for a journalist to expose Fuel Cell Cars as very inefficient and expensive Natural Gas burning cars. There is no economically sustainable, environmentally renewable source of Hydrogen, so we will be reforming CH4 to H2 for all these cars. Which emits more Carbon than just burning CH4 to begin with.
*sigh*
This has been done. Hydrogen fuel cells are about political points and kickbacks.
Toyota even wants the states to help pay for filling stations – no Tesla-style risk for them.
Most of the EV community is pretty skeptical of hydrogen, with the main issue being infrastructure. Energy and pollution calculations become blurry quickly anyway, but the average consumer understands the inability to fill up a FCV.
How much energy is consumed just compressing hydrogen to 10000 PSI?
Which incidentally I prefer not to drive around with.
Compressing hydrogen doesn’t take much energy, but collecting the hydrogen in the first place is the deal-breaker.
Even if we can trust Toyota’s 10,000 psi tanks, they opened up their patents so how long before the Chinese start producing those tanks. If your tank gets damaged in a collision, will your insurance company replace it with a Chinese made tank? Then there is the infrastructure. How well maintained will those 10,000 psi compressors be maintained? Will they be Chinese made? What about inspections of the pumping facilities? They’ll need specially trained inspectors.
It’s not just the compressing that’s energy intensive; just cracking it from the source material–whether water, coal or natural gas eats a lot of electricity that could be more efficiently used just powering the car on its own.
^ Wow, so much design hate ^
I guess I am in the minority, but I like it… a lot. But then, I think the 1996 Cadillac DeVille with rear wheel covers is just fantastic from a design point of view.
If you mean the rear wheel “skirts”, they worked well with the straight lines of that body style
I like it too. If for nothing else, because it looks new and different without being hideous like everything toyota/lexus these days.
I’ve never understood the media’s insistence on using the verb “bow” in these cases. Since it means “debut,” I can’t figure out why they don’t just use “debut.”
The other connotations of “bow” make it seem a poor word choice:
– to cease from competition or resistance : submit, yield; also : to suffer defeat
– to bend the head, body, or knee in reverence, submission, or shame
Also,
– to incline (as the head) especially in respect or submission
– to crush with a heavy burden
– to bend into a curve
– to play a stringed musical instrument with a bow
(from Merriam-Webster)
So, when a new car “bows,” I’m not really sure if it debuting or is admitting defeat and yielding to its rivals as it is ushered out in shame.
So much mirth lost to the spam filter.