Automotive

Honda Clarity makes the case for hydrogen with 366 mile range

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The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell has the longest range of any zero-emissions car in the USA
The Clarity Fuel Cell has a 366 mi EPA range
Scott Collie/New Atlas
The Clarity Fuel Cell can also be used as a generator in emergencies
Scott Collie/New Atlas
The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell has the longest range of any zero-emissions car in the USA
The Clarity debuts a new, more restrained style for Honda's fuel cell cars
The Fuel Cell in the Clarity is smaller than the one in the car it replaces
A big touchscreen is new to the Clarity
A look at the Honda FC Stack
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Both hydrogen and pure electric cars promise zero local emissions driving, but drawing on a fuel cell for power has its benefits, chief among which is range. The latest EPA figures for the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell have shown it will go the extra mile, with a 366 mile (589 km) rating making it the longest-range zero-emissions vehicle on the market today.

With its 366 mile rating, the Clarity has leapfrogged the pure-electric Tesla Model S P100D (315 mi/507 km) and hydrogen Toyota Mirai (300 mi/483 km) in the outright range stakes. Power comes from an electric motor making 130 kW (174 hp), fed by a new fuel cell stack that is smaller and more energy dense than the one it replaces.

Like the Toyota Fuel Cell Bus launched last week, the Clarity Fuel Cell can also be used as an emergency electric generator. Using the Power Exporter 9000, Honda says a car brimmed with hydrogen is able to power the average home for around a week.

With its big range, smooth electric motors and petrol-style refueling characteristics, the Clarity sounds like a surefire winner for people who want to switch to zero local emissions motoring. Unfortunately, a lack of infrastructure is still holding it back.

At the moment, Californian dealers are the only ones who will be selling the car to Americans, and only a few cars will make it to Europe as part of a program designed to promote the development, use and viability of hydrogen as an alternative fuel.

The Clarity Fuel Cell will go on sale in Q4 of 2016, with pricing set to kick off around US$60,000.

Source: Honda

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4 comments
yawood
This is the way to go for long distance zero local emissions (that's a great term as it disregards the emissions caused by the production of the car or the fuel). Places like Australia and the USA need both the range and the ability to refuel in a few minutes. It is also very useful to be able to power your house during an electricity outage by plugging in the car.
bfearn
"the longest-range zero-emissions vehicle on the market today." Only if you forget the significant carbon produced when making and distributing the fossil fuel based hydrogen.
Buellrider
Nice for those who can budget 60k dollars for a car. For the rest of us, not so good. The beauty of an electric car is that the top off station is your own home. I like the idea of owning a pure electric vehicle and plan to buy one within the next year. Easier to clean the stack where they generate electrons than to try to remove emissions at the tailpipe.
Michael Wilson
again, why are all these eco-friendly cars so darn ugly? Why can't they hire an automotive stylist to make a car that looks good? Considering Tesla out-performs this and looks better to boot, nobody will buy these.