What happened to the Honda Hydrogen car?
The Honda Hydrogen car, also known as the Honda FCX Clarity, was a pioneering electric vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Introduced in 2008, the FCX Clarity was one of the first commercially available hydrogen-powered cars, but its production and sales were ultimately limited due to the challenges of hydrogen infrastructure and high costs.
The Promise of Hydrogen Power
In the early 2000s, automakers were exploring alternative fuel sources to reduce reliance on gasoline and diesel. Hydrogen emerged as a promising option, as it produces no direct emissions and can be generated from renewable sources. Honda, along with other major automakers, invested heavily in developing hydrogen fuel cell technology for passenger vehicles.
The FCX Clarity, unveiled in 2008, was Honda's flagship hydrogen-powered car. It offered a range of around 240 miles on a single tank of hydrogen and could be refueled in just a few minutes, addressing the key limitations of battery-electric vehicles at the time.
Challenges and Limitations
Despite the technological advancements, the Honda Hydrogen car faced several significant challenges that ultimately limited its commercial success:
- Lack of Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure: The availability of hydrogen fueling stations was extremely limited, with only a handful of stations in select regions, making it difficult for consumers to refuel their vehicles.
- High Production Costs: The complex fuel cell technology and specialized components required to build the FCX Clarity resulted in a high manufacturing cost, making the vehicle unaffordable for most consumers.
- Limited Production and Sales: Due to the infrastructure and cost challenges, Honda only produced a few hundred FCX Clarity models, primarily for lease in select markets, rather than for widespread retail sale.
As a result, the Honda Hydrogen car remained a niche product, unable to gain significant traction in the broader automotive market.
The Shift to Battery-Electric Vehicles
In the years following the introduction of the FCX Clarity, the automotive industry experienced a rapid shift towards battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Advancements in battery technology, the expansion of charging infrastructure, and the introduction of more affordable BEV models from various automakers made electric vehicles a more viable and accessible option for consumers.
Faced with these market changes, Honda ultimately discontinued the FCX Clarity in 2014, shifting its focus to the development of battery-electric and hybrid vehicles. The company's hydrogen efforts have since been scaled back, as the challenges of building a comprehensive hydrogen fueling network have proven to be a significant barrier to widespread hydrogen vehicle adoption.
While the Honda Hydrogen car represented an important step in the evolution of alternative fuel vehicles, its limited success highlights the ongoing challenges of transitioning the automotive industry towards more sustainable and environmentally-friendly technologies.
Why did they stop making hydrogen cars?
Because hydrogen is a very difficult and dangerous gas to handle. Producing the gas requires energy, more energy than you get out of it, and transporting and storing it requires a lot of complicated infrastructure if it is to be kept safe.
What was the problem with the hydrogen-powered car?
Difficult to transport, difficult to handle, and is not available at home. Poor conversion efficiency (see below chart) within the vehicle leading to energy losses and high fuel costs. Higher lifetime costs of FCEVs, almost exclusively due to the higher fuel cost.
Why did the Honda Clarity fail?
The Honda Clarity FCV met its untimely end due to a lack of infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles at large.
Does Honda still make a hydrogen car?
Although you can expect our Honda hydrogen powered car to reach the U.S. market this year or by 2025, in the meantime, know that we are fully stocked with the gas-powered and hybrid versions of the Honda CR-V, as well as a lineup of hybrid and electric models, including the Accord Hybrid.
