Honda to Unveil FCX Clarity’s New Version

October 1, 2015

The successor will be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show

Toyota has recently launched its hydrogen Mirai in the UK, but Honda is already aiming to upset its launch by unveiling its new fuel-cell saloon at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The best news is it will be hitting UK shores for the first time and will start new engine free era of mobility. The previous version was only limited to a few customers in California and Japan, but this time Honda plans to sell it in both the US and Europe, with British models expected to get to showrooms in 2017. The new version will be called FCV and it is heavily inspired by the dramatic looking FCEV concept shown at last year’s LA Motor Show. It has more distinctive exterior styling than the FCX Clarity, as well as an improved hydrogen-electric powertrain offering more than 435 miles on one fill-up. The new version has an advanced 70MPa high-pressure hydrogen tank, which can be recharged in around three minutes from a charging station. The new infrastructure will receive a major investment in the UK in the future. The new range beats Toyota by 300miles. Honda uses an advanced fuel cell stack, which is a third smaller than the one used in Honda’s previous hydrogen efforts. The increased density helps to improve overall performance by approximately 60 percent. The new model has been toned down a bit from its concept with aircraft-style controls and wraparound dash, but it still is an upgrade from the original design. Honda will also demonstrate a 'Power Exporter' to work with the FCV. An external power feeding device, it allows energy produced by the car to power electrical devices or even an entire house from hydrogen. It can produce up to 9KW at a time, enough to power most major functions in an average home. Will you go for Toyota or Honda?