Honda Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Development

Honda has been taking measures since the late 1990s to address three issues raised by the automobile, from air pollution, which was already a matter of regulation, to the additional issues of global warming and energy. With observation of recent trends in society, what had been our concern about these three matters appears to have gradually been turning into certainty instead. Meanwhile, the demand for automobiles is expected to increase with the population growth in newly emerging countries, economic growth, and other such factors. At present, with automobiles dependent on oil for the greater part of their energy, it has become a challenge to secure a stable supply of reasonably priced oil while the global warming perspective requires reduction of CO₂ emissions. This article will review the history of development of the fuel cell vehicle (FCV) equipped with the next-generation power plant capable of simultaneously providing the solutions demanded for all three automobile issues. It will also introduce the latest FCV model, the FCX Clarity, as well as the status of the infrastructure and Honda's proprietary hydrogen manufacturing, with a view to more widespread penetration.