The government is going to have to step in and get involved before fuel cell cars can really come into their own, says Honda Hydrogen Research engineer, Ryan Harty. Private enterprise can only go so far, and the government will have to establish codes and standards.
We’re gliding along in almost complete silence through Vancouver’s Stanley Park on a sunny March afternoon, and I’m at the wheel of the Honda FCX hydrogen fuel cell car....one of three brought to Vancouver for the Globe 2006 sustainable technologies conference. Aside from the almost complete lack of drivetrain noise, it could be a conventional internal combustion-propelled sub-compact. It has about the same amount of takeoff power - equivalent to an Accord V6, according to Honda - and, aside from a few extra gauges, an extra fuel filler door, and fancy body graphics, this could be just another well-equipped econobox going about its business.
But it’s not. The FCX is making its Canadian debut and is the first and only hydrogen-fuelled vehicle to be certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). These may be American agencies, but if the FCX is good enough for the States and pollution-conscious California, it’s definitely good enough for Canada. “CARB absolutely loves the FCX,” adds Ryan Harty. It’s probably redundant to add that the FCX is also a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV). That’s means, aside from a few drops of water, there are zip, nada, bupkis, zero fumes coming out the tailpipe.
At the heart of the beast is a fuel cell “stack” that uses hydrogen gas as its energy source and develops about 100 kilowatts of power. Two tanks containing the hydrogen are located under the floor in the rear of the vehicle, and electricity generated by the fuel cells is directed through a midship-mounted capacitor and propels an 80-kilowatt electric motor mounted over the front wheels. Simply put, the membranes of the fuel cell stack harness the electrochemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen to convert that energy into electricity. According to Ryan Harty, it’s “the reverse of the principle of electrolysis”, which, as we all learned in high school, uses electricity to separate water into hydrogen and water. The entire arrangement is Honda’s own design, and prominent Canadian fuel cell manufacturer, Ballard, is not involved.
Perhaps the most important question mark hovering over the FCX - and all other fuel cell vehicles, for that matter - is the refuelling issue. The FCX has a range of some 300 kilometres, which is pretty decent, but it will eventually have to come in for gas, just like the rest of us. Honda visualizes a string of solar-powered water electrolyzing stations located across North America, where you drive up, plug in and Bob’s Your Uncle, as well as home-based fill-up facilities utilizing natural gas as the source of energy. Ostensibly, the Home Energy Station would be attached to the natural gas line already in place at your house, and the consumer could fill up his/her vehicle while receiving electricity for their household needs into the bargain. Honda already has such a facility in place, at the company’s headquarters, in Torrance, California.
Readily available hydrogen on every street corner could take awhile, however, and the major oil companies might have a thing or two to say about it. However, “Chevron, Shell, and British Petroleum (BP) are already involved,” claims Ryan Harty.
What about safety? Wasn’t the Hindenburg filled with hydrogen before it plunged to the ground in flames in 1937 in Lakewood, New Jersey? “Hydrogen is fourteen times lighter than air,” explains Harty, patiently. “It’s actually safer in an accident situation than a conventional automobile.” Honda has repeatedly crash-tested the FCX, and claim that because of its rear tank layout, the passenger compartment is completely isolated from any hydrogen leaks. As well, there are forced ventilation and automatic fuel cut-off systems, as well as various sensors located throughout the vehicle to warn of a fuel leak.
So far, Honda has put 20 FCXs on the road.....all in the U.S. The city of Los Angeles has five of them, New York, San Francisco, and Las Vegas a pair each and one is in the hands of a private customer. Jon Spallino, in Redondo Beach, California is leasing one from Honda for a two-year period. “We’ve accumulated about 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometres) on these cars altogether,” says Ryan Harty, and, yes, there have been some technical issues. “But this is a learning situation right now, and we expect glitches.”
Will Canadian drivers get a crack at the FCX? “We’d like to see them up here, obviously, but, realistically, it won’t be for another 10 - 15 years,” says Jim Miller, vice-president, of Honda Canada.
Meanwhile, a second generation of FCX Concept vehicle is already in the works, with much more contemporary styling, increased power, and enhanced driveability. It’s apparently about four years away from debuting.
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