The Honda approach to fuel cells
When we had a chance to drive the next-generation Honda FCX fuel-cell car in Washington, D.C., Honda executives shared some interesting insights about Honda owners and their feelings about fuel. These insights have led Honda down an interesting path toward hydrogen distribution.
In researching fuel cell cars, Honda has learned a little something about car owners: We don't really like going to the gas station. When it comes to alternative fuels, this can lead to a solution to the limited infrastructure, as there isn't exactly a hydrogen pump on every street corner.
After leasing electric cars to consumers in California in the 1990s, Honda found that they liked charging the cars at home. Since most hydrogen is made from natural gas, and about 64 percent of U.S. homes have natural gas, Honda is working to develop a system that can fill cars with hydrogen from home natural gas lines. Today the system, called the Home Energy Station, is still in development and each prototype cost millions of dollars to produce.
However, Honda is paving the way with a home-based natural gas refueling pump called the Phill that is designed to refuel its natural-gas powered Civic GX. Together, the Civic GX and Phill can help build a market to refuel cars using home natural gas, just as Honda hopes the Home Energy Station will do with future hydrogen cars.
Both Honda and General Motors are also working with chemical companies such as Air Products and Praxair, as well as petroleum companies, to build more traditional hydrogen pumps at gas stations. There are currently 24 hydrogen gas stations in California, as well as one around the corner from our test-drive site in Washington, D.C.
Honda's pragmatic approach to developing fuel-cell cars has put it ahead of General Motors by perhaps a couple of years. Honda has begun gathering feedback from real-world consumers, rather than just from fleets to learn what else needs further development on the next fuel-cell vehicles. Steve Ellis, Honda's manager of fuel-cell vehicle marketing, says that this feedback is more detailed and comprehensive than that gathered from fleet operators. For example, he notes that one owner was unhappy that the car's exhaust left a puddle of water on his garage floor. General Motors plans to begin gathering feedback from consumers next year with the introduction of the fuel-cell Chevrolet Equinox. And the race for the powertrain of tomorrow continues.
The next blog in the series will further explore the General Motors fuel-cell technology.
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