Honda and Toyota FCV World Debuts with Headwinds

Hyundai Tucson FCV Drivers Accumulate More Than Three Million Zero-Emission Miles By National H2 Day

2017 Hyundai Tucson FCV

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For National Hydrogen Day, Hyundai Tucson FCV drivers have accumulated more than three million miles on the roads and highways of both Southern and Northern California. These FCVs have emitted only clean water vapor, while reducing approximately 1,140 tons of CO2 emissions that would have been emitted by Tucson’s with gas engines. Hyundai has delivered more than 150 Tucson FCVs since its introduction as the first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle in the U.S. market in 2014.

Hyundai service engineers receive periodic mileage updates from Tucson FCVs in Southern California, allowing them to calculate cumulative mileage totals as needed to assess fuel cell stack maintenance status.

Hyundai Tucson FCV provides an estimated driving range of 265 miles between fill-ups while vehicle performance is minimally affected by either extreme hot or cold ambient temperatures. Even more important, the Tucson FCV can be refilled with H2 in less than five minutes. Finally, FCVs are production scalable from very small to very large vehicles.

 

GM Proposes Autonomous Commercial/Military FCV

GM is stating they want to solve the toughest transportation challenges created by natural disasters, complex logistics environments and global conflicts. The company will display its Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure (SURUS), a flexible FCV platform with autonomous capabilities, at the fall meeting of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) from Oct. 9-11, 2017. The commercially designed platform could be adapted for military use.

GM SURUS Prototype FCV Platform

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SURUS leverages GM’s newest Hydrotec fuel cell system, autonomous capability and truck chassis components to deliver high-performance, zero-emission propulsion to minimize logistical burdens and reduce human exposure to harm. Benefits include quiet operation, off-road mobility, field configuration, instantaneous high torque, exportable power generation, water generation and quick refueling times.

Fuel cell tech represents a key piece of GM’ zero emission strategy. It offers a solution that can scale to larger vehicles with even larger payload requirements and operate over longer distances. SURUS was designed to form a foundation for a family of commercial vehicle solutions that leverages a single propulsion system integrated into a common chassis. The SURUS platform is equally well-suited for adaptation to military environments where users can take advantage of flexible energy resources, field configurability and improved logistical characteristics.

GM is evaluating multiple applications for SURUS including:

• Utility trucks
• Mobile and emergency backup power generation
• Flexible cargo delivery systems
• Commercial freight
• Light- and medium-duty trucks, improving upon the Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 that has been evaluated by the U.S. military under guidance of the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and is undergoing testing on bases
• Future military-specific configurations

SURUS will deliver highly mobile autonomous capability and agility in unpredictable terrain. Operating multiple vehicles in a leader-follower configuration could reduce manpower needed. For future potential military uses, the system’s inherent low heat signature and quiet operation offer benefits in environments to reduce detection and risks. TARDEC has been in discussions with GM evaluating the commercial SURUS concept as a next step of the broader collaboration to evaluate fuel cell technology for future military applications.

The SURUS platform leverages GM’s vast experience in fuel cell technology, high-voltage batteries and electric drive systems, autonomous driving and vehicle manufacturing. The platform boasts:

• Two electric drive units
• 4-wheel steering
• Li-Ion battery
• Gen 2 fuel cell system
• H2 storage system capable of more than 400 miles of range
• Advanced propulsion power electronics
• GM truck chassis components
• Advanced, industry-leading suspension

Hydrotec Technology

The SURUS commercial platform draws on GM’s more than 50 years of R&D of fuel cell technology. The scalable and adaptable technology enables land, sea and air applications across commercial and military environments.

Since April 2017, the Army has been testing the commercial Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 on its U.S. bases to determine the viability of H2-powered vehicles in military mission tactical environments. The vehicle has been operating in off-road conditions to evaluate its power generation, acoustic and thermal signatures, high wheel torque, extended operating range and the potential to use the byproduct water.

Military testing has shown the ZH2 reduced acoustic non-detection distance by 90 percent compared to current military vehicle in operation. This means the ZH2 can get 10 times closer before being detected. Leaders also observed the potential advantages for stationary power generation over diesel generators, including a significant reduction in idle noise and fuel use. Testing will continue through spring 2018.

Partnerships remain an important part of GM’s electrification strategy. Last year, the U.S. Navy unveiled a GM fuel cell-powered Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) for testing purposes that leverages GM fuel cell technology common with the Colorado ZH2.

 

Toyota FCV Now Includes Big Rigs!

Port of Los Angeles receives first…

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Oct. 13, 2017

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A big-rig driving around the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is going to be different than any before it.

The possible future of heavy-duty trucking recently hit the streets in the form of Toyota Motor North America, Inc.’s (TMNA) “Project Portal” – a H2 fuel cell (FC) system designed for heavy-duty truck use. The zero-emission class 8 truck proof of concept has completed more than 4,000 successful development miles, while progressively pulling drayage rated cargo weight, and emitting nothing from the truck but water vapor.

With R&D miles completed, Project Portal is ready for public roads. Initial feasibility study routes, moving goods from select Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals to surrounding rail yards and warehouses for distribution, will begin on October 23rd. It’s estimated the truck’s daily trips will total around 200 miles. These localized, frequent route patterns are designed to test the demanding drayage duty-cycle capabilities of the fuel cell system while capturing real world performance data. As the study progresses, longer haul routes will be introduced.

The initial feasibility study will be managed by the TMNA Project Portal team, in collaboration with Toyota’s Service Parts Accessories Operations group and its drayage provider, Southern Counties Express (SCE).

Revealed in April 2017, Project Portal is the next step in Toyota’s application of zero-emission FC technology. It is a fully functioning HD truck with the power and torque capacity to conduct port drayage operations while producing zero emissions. HD vehicles make up a significant percentage of the annual emissions output at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the Portal feasibility study may provide another path to further reduce emissions.

The Project Portal HD truck concept generates more than 670 hp and 1,325-pound feet of torque from two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12kWh battery, a relatively small battery to support class 8 load operations. The concept’s gross combined weight capacity is 80,000 lbs, the same as any other Class 8 truck, and its estimated driving range is more than 200 miles per fill, under normal operation.

 

H2 could contribute to 20% of CO2 emissions reduction targets by 2050

The Hydrogen Council reveals first-of-a kind study showing hydrogen’s contribution as a key pillar of the energy transition

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Bonn, Germany – As global leaders gathered at COP 23 in Bonn, 18 key leaders in their industry verticals, united in the Hydrogen Council coalition, came together to launch first ever globally quantified vision of the role of H2, developed with support from McKinsey. In addition to being a key pillar in of the energy transition, the study shows that hydrogen has the potential to develop US $2.5 Trillion of business, creating more than 30 million jobs by 2050.

Taking the Hydrogen Council’s vision for hydrogen to the next level, the study entitled Hydrogen, Scaling up outlines a comprehensive and quantified roadmap to scale deployment and its enabling impact on the energy transition.

Deployed at scale, H2 could account for almost one-fifth of total final energy consumed by 2050. This would reduce annual CO2 emissions by roughly 6 gigatons compared to today’s levels, and contribute roughly 20% of the abatement required to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius.

On the demand side, the H2 Council sees the potential for H2 to power about 10 to 15 million cars and 500,000 trucks by 2030, with many uses in other sectors as well, such as industry processes and feedstocks, building heating and power, power generation and storage. Overall, the study predicts that the annual demand for H2 could increase tenfold by 2050 to almost 80 EJ in 2050 meeting 18% of total final energy demand in the 2050 two-degree scenario. At a time when global populations are expected to grow by two billion people by 2050, H2 technologies have the potential to create opportunities for sustainable economic growth.

Achieving such scale would require substantial investments; approximately $20 to 25 billion USD annually for a total of about $280 billion USD until 2030. Within the right regulatory framework – including long-term, stable coordination and incentive policies – the report considers that attracting these investments to scale the technology is feasible. The world already invests more than $1.7 trillion USD in energy each year, including US$650 billion in oil and gas, $300 billion USD in renewable electricity, and more than $300 billion USD in the automotive industry.

The launch of the new roadmap came during the Sustainability Innovation Forum in the presence of 18 senior members of the Hydrogen led by co-chairs Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman of Toyota and Benoît Potier, Chairman and CEO, Air Liquide and accompanied by Prof. Aldo Belloni, CEO of The Linde Group, Woong-chul Yang, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Company and Anne Stevens, Board Member of Anglo American. During the launch, the Hydrogen Council called upon investors, policymakers, and businesses to join them in accelerating deployment of hydrogen solutions for the energy transition. It was also announced that Woong-chul Yang of Hyundai Motor Company will succeed Takeshi Uchiyamada of Toyota in the rotating role of the Council’s co-chair and preside the group together with Benoit Potier, CEO Air Liquide, in 2018. Mr Uchiyamada is planning to return as Co-chairman in 2020, coinciding with the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, an important milestone for showcasing hydrogen society and mobility.

When thinking of the astronomical sums, consider the reports source first. Sustainable H2 production and consumption for transport does not yet exist. We will see how this turns out as it is in most of our lifetimes that the transition to the Personal Transportation 2.0 will occur.

 

Toyota to Build the World's First Megawatt-scale H2 Generation Station

On-site H2 production and pressurization to supply Toyota’s Heavy-Duty Class-8 Concept.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Nov. 28, 2017

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Toyota is planning to build the world’s first megawatt-scale carbonate fuel cell power generation plant with an H2 fueling station to support its operations at the Port of Long Beach. The Tri-Gen facility will use bio-waste sourced from California agricultural waste to generate water, electricity and hydrogen.

The H2 fueled Class-8 truck details were posted 2 post prior to this one.

Local H2 Production and renewable electric energy for the grid

When Toyota’s Trigen plant comes online in 2020, Tri-Gen will generate approximately 2.35 megawatts of electricity and 1.2 tons of hydrogen per day, enough to power the equivalent of about 2,350 average-sized homes and meet the daily driving needs of nearly 1,500 vehicles. The power generation facility will be 100% renewable, supplying Toyota Logistics Services’ (TLS) operations at the Port and making them the first Toyota facility in North America to use 100% renewable power.

Tri-Gen is a key step forward in Toyota’s work to develop a hydrogen society. In addition to serving as a key proof-of-concept for 100% renewable, local hydrogen generation at scale, the facility will supply all Toyota fuel cell vehicles moving through the Port, including new deliveries of the Mirai sedan and Toyota’s Heavy-Duty H2 fuel cell class 8 truck, known as Project Portal. To support these refueling operations, Toyota has also built one of the largest hydrogen fueling stations in the world on-site with the help of Air Liquide.

Tri-Gen has been developed by FuelCell Energy with the support of the US DOE, California agencies including the California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Orange County Sanitation District, and the University of California at Irvine, whose research helped develop the core technology. The facility exceeds California’s strict air quality standards and advances the overall goals of the California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission, and the Air Quality Management Districts of the South Coast and the Bay Area, who have been leaders in the work to reduce emissions and improve air quality.

Going forward, Toyota remains committed to supporting the development of a consumer- facing hydrogen infrastructure to realize the potential of fuel cell vehicles. Thirty-one retail hydrogen stations are now open for business in California, and Toyota continues to partner with a broad range of companies to develop new stations. That includes a partnership with Shell that represents the first such collaboration between a major automotive and major oil company.

 

Toyota will establish a new company in Spring 2018 with focus on development of H2 refueling station network in Japan

This new agreement was signed by 11 companies.

• Toyota
• Nissan
• Honda
• JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy
• Idemitsu Kosan
• Iwatani
• Tokyo Gas
• Toho Gas
• Air Liquide Japan
• Toyota Tsusho
• Development Bank of Japan

As a result of discussions that began in May 2017, the above 11 companies have signed an agreement to form a new company in the spring of 2018, aimed at the full-fledged development of hydrogen refueling stations for FCVs.

The new company will be established to accelerate Japan's H2 initiative driven mainly by these 11 companies toward the achievement of Japan's common target shared by the government and industries regarding the development of H2 recharging stations. According to the "Strategic Road Map for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells" released by the Council for a Strategy for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, an industry body organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, in the initial phase of promoting fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen, the target penetration is 160 stations and 40,000 FCVs by FY 2020.

The objective of the new company is to enhance the collaboration among infrastructure developers, automakers, and financial institutions in order to simultaneously accelerate and scale up Japan's deployment of HRS and FCV.

The new company will take on the following specific initiatives:

1. Strategic deployment of hydrogen recharging stations

• The company will aim to complete its mission in 10 years. During the first four years in Phase 1, the new company intends to target the construction of 80 new stations. To achieve this target, new member companies, extending beyond the current member companies, will be invited to participate.
  
  
• The new company will, while taking into account subsidies from the national government and initiatives of local governments, develop its own original "Hydrogen Recharging Station Deployment Plan," in order to create an environment in which many users can enjoy driving fuel cell vehicles in Japan.

2. Contribution to efficient hydrogen station operation

By collecting and utilizing information regarding the construction and operation of hydrogen recharging stations through infrastructure developers, which will oversee operations of hydrogen recharging stations, the new company, which will deploy and own stations nationwide, will contribute to efficient operations and other road map objectives in the following ways:

• Improvement of convenience for FCV users - In order to encourage customers to use hydrogen, the new company will improve the convenience of stations, coordinating with the Association of Hydrogen Supply and Utilization Technology (HySUT), which has already begun actively expanding the market, for example by extending the number of service days per week to meet increased demand.
  
  
• Cost reduction and regulation review - The new company will collaborate with external organizations, such as the Fuel Cell Commercialization Conference of Japan (FCCJ) and HySUT, to reduce cost by addressing issues such as the standardization of equipment and revision of regulations.

To carry out these actions, member companies will play the following key roles:

• Infrastructure developers will invest in and construct hydrogen recharging stations, and operate them, on behalf of the new company
  
  
• Automakers will contribute financially to the operations of the new company in order to efficiently deploy hydrogen recharging stations, improve convenience for users, and boost public awareness, while also striving for higher penetration of fuel cell vehicles during Phase 1
  
  
• Financial institutions will partially cover HRS deployment costs through investments. By providing the funds necessary until the HRS business becomes commercially sustainable, financial institutions will help reduce the financial burden borne by infrastructure developers during Phase 1 and will help attract new participants.

The new company will aim to seek wider participation by HRS-operating companies and investors, to achieve a sustainable HRS business and FCV penetration as swiftly as possible, thus contributing to the creation of a full-fledged hydrogen society in Japan.

Signing companies and their roles

• Infrastructure developers JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Iwatani Corporation, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd., Toho Gas Co., Ltd., Air Liquide Japan Ltd.
• Automakers Toyota Motor Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
• Financial institutions Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Development Bank of Japan Inc.

 

Toyota’s Mirai FCV Sales Surpass 3,000 in California

The slow selling Toyota Mirai has now surpassed 3,000 sales in California. More noteworthy is that the Mirai makes up greater than 80 percent of all H2 FCVs in the United States.

2017 Toyota Mirai

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The Toyota Mirai is a zero-emission H2 vehicle with an EPA estimated driving range rating of 312 miles and 67 MPGe city/highway/combined. Its performance fully competes with traditional internal combustion engines – but without gasoline. With a refueling time of approximately five minutes, the Mirai creates electricity using H2, O2 and a fuel cell, and emits only water vapor from its small tailpipe.

Toyota is helping to build 31 retail H2 stations in California, with an additional twelve projected to open in by 2018. Toyota is also collaborating with Air Liquide to set up a network of 12 H2 fueling stations between New York and Boston, with the first station expected open in Boston later this year.

Toyota is also building a new Tri-Gen facility at the Port of Long Beach that will use bio-waste sourced from California’s agricultural industry to generate water, electricity and hydrogen. The hydrogen will fuel all Toyota FCVs moving through the Port, including new deliveries of the Mirai sedan and Toyota’s Class 8 Heavy Duty H2 FCV truck.

Wayne

 

Hi All:

Hyundai Begins Sales of NEXO Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle in Korea

Hyundai just opened up the order books on its all-new NEXO fuel cell electric vehicle in Korea with 1,061 vehicles pre-orders between period between March 19-26, 2018.

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Hyundai also delivered vehicles to both local governments of the city of Ulsan and Gwangju in Korea. Ulsan is home to the “Hydrogen House”, created through joint efforts from Hyundai and Ulsan. In Gwangju, the handover occurred at a newly built DongGok hydrogen multi energy station.

Hyundai announced a 10-year, 99,000-mile warranty for FCV components to reassure customers of the durability and reliability of their own fuel cell electric vehicles sold in Korea. Hyundai will service NEXO vehicles in all of its 22 service networks in Korea.

The Nexo is currently retail priced in Korea at $64,0770 USD and $67,146 USD for the for the Modern and Premium trims respectively. With the current $32,550 Korean subsidy, retail of $31,527 and $34,596 is expected.

Pricing of NEXO for out market will be disclosed closer to the US market launch.

Wayne

 

Hi All:

The 2018 Honda Clarity FCV Arrives for $369/month Lease

2018 Honda Clarity FCV

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The 2018 Honda Clarity FCV arrived at 12 approved Honda dealerships in California including six dealerships in Southern California (Los Angeles and Orange County areas), five in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one in the Sacramento. It can be picked up with a lease price of $369 per month for 36 months plus $2,868 due at signing. Owners will receive a huge mileage allowance of 20,000 miles per year, up to $15,000 of hydrogen fuel, up to 21 days of access to a luxury vehicle from Avis while in California, 24/7 roadside assistance, and eligibility for California’s Clean Air Vehicle Stickers, allowing single occupant HOV access.

California buyers are also eligible for a $5,000 rebate.

Honda’s advanced alternative-fuel powertrain provides a 366-mile range while refueling takes just three to five minutes from 10,000 psi H2 refueling stations.

Wayne

 

Shell and Toyota Setting Up Big Rig H2 Refueling Facility

$8 million grant to build H2 refueling to the Port of Long Beach.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – April 20, 2017

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Following up on the Toyota to Build the World's First Megawatt-scale H2 Generation Station story, Shell and Toyota have been provisionally awarded $8 million by the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop the first H2-truck refueling station at the Port of Long Beach. The funding, which is contingent upon the approval of the project at an upcoming CEC meeting, forms part of the CEC’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, which helps develop hydrogen and electric infrastructure at ports, warehousing and distribution centers in California.

Shell and Toyota expect the facility to encourage the use of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks in and around Long Beach, one of the world’s largest freight hubs.

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If approved, Shell will build, own and operate am H2 station at the Toyota Logistics Services location at the Port of Long Beach, fueling Toyota’s Project Portal heavy-duty fuel cell proof of concept truck and public fleets.

Shell will source its hydrogen from Toyota’s adjacent Tri-Gen facility, which produces hydrogen from 100 percent renewable bio-gas.

 

Honda Clarity Series Earns Coalition for Clean Air 2018 California Air Quality Award

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The Honda Clarity series was awarded the 2018 California Air Quality Award for Corporate Environmental Stewardship by the Coalition for Clean Air for proving drivers can reduce or even eliminate tailpipe emissions. The Coalition for Clean Air is a non-profit organization committed to the advancement of technology, laws and environmental practices, helping promote clean, healthy air for California. So far in 2018, 56 percent of Clarity sales have been in California.

The Honda Clarity series is composed of the 2018 Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, available nationwide, 2018 Clarity Electric, available in select markets in California and Oregon, and 2018 Clarity Fuel Cell, available in select markets in California.

Honda Clarity Series

The Clarity series including the Plug-in Hybrid, Fuel Cell and Electric – has a low, wide aerodynamic body with unique design elements and standard Honda Sensing. Each Clarity variant has a spacious five-seat interior, outfitted with premium, environmentally responsible materials, Display Audio with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and excellent cargo volume.

The Clarity series shared "3-in-1" platform strategy enables Honda to respond to infrastructure and market developments, provide customers nationwide with an ultra-low carbon vehicle that meets their lifestyle needs and takes Honda toward higher volume sales of advanced powertrain products to help reduce CO2 emissions.

Wayne

 

Hi All:

Now in year 3, the Clarity FCV is scheduled to arrive at one of the 12 select Honda dealerships in Southern California authorized to sell this one of a kind vehicle. As a driver with extensive time and miles spent on Southern California freeways, I have only seen one in the wild. With just over 5,000 sold YTD in the U.S. and most of those being the short range PHEV, I do not see a success path for the three vehicles under the Clarity moniker. The Clarity Electrics range of just 89-miles is a non-starter. The PHEVs 8-gallons fuel tank and maximum 340-miles of total range is also a non-starter. Next up is the Clarity FCV. H2 still costs upwards of $10 - $15/kg while allowing the Clarity FCV to drive just 68-miles. It is like purchasing gasoline for $8.82 per gallon while driving a much less expensive by half, 48 mpg Accord Hybrid. Except fr the huge Honda H2 subsidy that is.

2019 Honda Clarity

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Arriving at select dealerships in California, the 2019 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell received a 360-mile driving range rating and offers quick refueling at a competitive lease price of $379 per month. The Clarity's spacious and sophisticated interior offers ample room for five, and every Clarity Fuel Cell comes standard with advanced technology, such as the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver-assist technologies, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.

The 2019 Clarity Fuel Cell has a 360 mile EPA driving range rating, making it one of the highest rated zero-emission light-duty vehicles in America, including fuel cell and battery electric vehicles. In addition, the Clarity Fuel Cell received a 68 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) EPA combined fuel economy rating, the highest rating for any light-duty fuel cell vehicle sold in America, and can be refueled in approximately three to five minutes using 70 MPa refueling stations.

Retail leasing of the Clarity Fuel Cell is available through a network of 12 approved Honda dealerships in select California markets, including six dealerships in Southern California (Los Angeles and Orange County areas), five in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one in the Sacramento area. The Clarity Fuel Cell offers a competitive lease price of $379 per month for 36 months with $2,878 due at signing with California customers eligible for a $5,000 rebate. The lease terms include an attractive mileage allowance of 20,000 miles per year, up to $15,000 of hydrogen fuel, up to 21 days of access to a luxury vehicle from Avis while in California, 24/7 roadside assistance, and eligibility for California's Clean Air Vehicle Stickers to allow single-occupant HOV access.

The 69/67/68 MPGe city/highway/combined rated 2019 Honda Clarity FCV retails for $59,410 incl. the $920 D&H charge. Nobody buys a Clarity for $60k + TTL as that would be foolish.

Wayne

 

Toyota’s first H2 Fuel Cell Electric UTR (Utility Tractor Rig)

Hi All:

The Toyota UTR prototype, known as “UNO,” made its first productive moves around the Fenix container terminal.

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The UNO was imagined and developed by Toyota engineers and deployed at the Fenix terminal as a test of real-world zero-emission container handling equipment at a marine terminal.

Fenix’s terminal, located at Pier 300 in the Port of LA, handles over one million containers per year and deployment of the UNO will help to meet its ongoing commitment to the Port’s Clean Air Action Plan goals.

The San Pedro Bay Clean Air Action Plan (“CAAP”) passed in 2008 and updated most recently in 2018, focuses on the increased use of near-zero and zero-emission CHE (“Container Handling Equipment”) by 2030 in order to meet, and exceed, statewide air emission goals.

The UNO is powered by the same modular fuel cell foundation as Toyota’s zero emission Mirai electric passenger cars and Project PORTAL electric semi-truck prototypes. The H2 provides quicker refueling time than battery-electric options. The first UNO test cycle at Fenix ran for 2.5 hours per trial on the rail and consumed one fill of its two hydrogen tanks. Additional tanks can be added for the desired range and can be filled in around 3 minutes, allowing much quicker options to get back on the road than battery.

 

Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Gets Updates for 2020

The 2020 Honda Clarity FCV receives upgrades as it begins arriving at select dealerships in California this month, including new heated outside mirrors; an improved Audible Vehicle Alert System for better pedestrian awareness of vehicles at low speeds; and improved cold-weather startup performance.

The 2020 Clarity Fuel Cell is available at a competitive lease price of $379 per month which includes up to $15,000 of H2 fuel. At the same time, the Clarity FCV offers California drivers a zero-emissions driving experience with an EPA range rating of 360 miles on a full tank of H2, along with quick refueling at more than 40 stations, a $4,500 California state rebate and single-occupant HOV lane access eligibility.

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In addition to the new AVAS system, the 2020 Clarity Fuel Cell includes improvements to its cold-weather starting capabilities, black-painted and heated side mirrors, and a new Crimson Pearl paint, which replaces Bordeaux Red.

Inside Clarity FCVs upscale interior, Platinum White models now include a brown-hued interior. Clarity FCV comes in one trim with seating for 5, Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

With a 360-mile EPA driving range, the Clarity CV has one of the longest ranges of any zero-emission light-duty vehicles in America, including FCV and BEVs. In addition, the Clarity FCV received a 68 MPGe EPA combined fuel economy rating, the highest rating for any light-duty FCV sold in America, and can be refueled in approximately three to five minutes while refueling from a 10,100 psi refueling stations.

The 2020 Clarity FCV is available for lease through a network of 12 approved Honda dealerships including six dealerships in Southern California (Los Angeles and Orange County areas), five in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one in the Sacramento area. The Clarity FCV leases for $379 per month for 36 months with $2,878 due at signing, California customers may be eligible for a $4,500 rebate. The lease terms include an attractive mileage allowance of 20,000 miles per year, up to $15,000 of H2 fuel, up to 21 days of access to a luxury vehicle from Avis while in California, 24/7 roadside assistance, and eligibility for California’s Clean Air Vehicle Stickers to allow single-occupant HOV lane access.

Honda has invested more than $14 million in California’s H2 refueling network. With more than 40 retail hydrogen stations across the state, it’s now more convenient than ever before to quickly refuel the Clarity FCV. Honda intends for electrified vehicles to comprise two-thirds of its global automobile sales by 2030. In North America, the Honda Electrification Initiative will see Honda's electrified powertrain technologies applied to an expanding portfolio of cars and light trucks in the years ahead. Honda's electrified vehicle lineup today includes the Clarity series, along with the Accord Hybrid, Insight, and the all-new CR-V Hybrid going on sale early next year.

Wayne

 

Hi All:

Despite over a decade of promise, here is the current state of San Diego Hydrogen refueling station infrastructure.

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The one station that is open has both refueling spots offline (Out of service) and they are only 35 MPa and 70 MPA. That is enough pressure to drive a Clarity about 120 and 240 miles from fill respectively. I am 20-miles north of that station taking its range down even further.

The other station in Yellow is not scheduled to open until mid 2020.

The 2020 Honda Clarity is not that bad of a deal at $410/month + $2,800 down incl. state taxes and enough free fuel to cover the leases 20k miles each year. With the $4,500 state tax rebate, the total is just $13,060 over the 3-years and 60,000 miles of ownership. Unfortunately, with no ability or limited ability to refuel, it is a non-starter before even walking into a dealership for San Diego consumers.

Wayne

 

Hi Appletank:

So true!!! Hyundai is also heavily involved in the FCV push with their NEXO FCV. It has a longer wheelbase than the Santa Fe 109.8" vs 108.9" and provides owners with an excellent 380 mile range in the most efficient Blue Trim. Limited is 354 due to the larger wheels and tires... Refueling the Nexo, Clarity, or Mirai in as little as 5-minutes is no different than any gasoline car owner. Except as you also noted, if there are no stations, stations that are not running with 10k psi supply, stations that are OOS, or are charging a ridiculous $15/kg of Hydrogen, what is the point?

The efficiency was suspect early on and I still have doubts after our drive of the 2017 Mirai a few years back but ... Drivability, utility, and curb appeal have come up significantly in recent years. The NEXO and especially the upcoming 2nd gen Mirai FCV are actually good looking vehicles. Without the ability to refuel however, even free fuel as Honda is supplying for Clarity owners makes no sense.

2020 Hyundai NEXO FCV




2021 Toyota Mirai FCV

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Wayne