Honda has debuted their latest fuel cell vehicle (FCV) concept. Unwrapping the car in Japan, Honda showcased its latest fuel cell design as well as a companion generator unit for emergencies that can be used to power homes and businesses during blackouts. The Power Exporter Concept is an external power feeding device that enables AC power output from the FCV car at up to 9kW.
The previous FCV Concept car was introduced in 2013 and was very similar to this new update to the concept, being a low, wide vehicle with an aerodynamic build and futuristic look. The new vehicle has repackaged the fuel cell stack and hydrogen storage tanks to create a lot more interior space than the FCX Clarity sports and the car seats up to five being on par in size with the Honda Civic compact car.
This next-generation fuel cell vehicle launches in 2016 and has all of its powertrain components up front, under the hood, as would a traditional car. This allows more interior and trunk space and leaves the vehicle roughly equivalent to its gasoline or diesel counterparts in terms of space and use. This also gives flexibility to the fuel cell powertrain for use in different vehicle models.
Significant technological advancements to the fuel-cell stack have yielded more than 100kW of power output. The power density is now 3.1 kW/L, an increase of 60%, with the stack size reduced 33% compared to the Honda FCX Clarity. The next-generation Honda FCV is targeted to deliver a driving range of more than 300 miles (483 km) with a quick refueling time of about three to five minutes at a pressure of 70 MPa.
