Honda has whipped the covers off its next-generation hydrogen gasoline cell setup on the Brussels Expo as a part of European Hydrogen Week.
Completed in shiny black and silver plastic, the brand new gasoline cell appears spectacular, however sadly Honda has but to launch any particulars concerning the unit, or quantify how it’s higher than the system used within the quirky Readability Gas Cell.
The Readability Gas Cell, which went out of manufacturing in 2022, had a 103kW electrical motor driving the entrance wheels. With its compressed hydrogen tanks crammed to the brim, it had an estimated driving vary of 580km.
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Second-generation Honda Readability
The following-generation gasoline cell system will see its first automotive utility within the upcoming CR-V Gas Cell, which is able to go on sale within the US and Japan in 2024.
If the earlier two generations of Readability Gas Cell are something to go by, gross sales (or leases) will likely be restricted to areas the place there’s some hydrogen refilling infrastructure in place, primarily California.
As a part of Honda’s partnership with Isuzu, it’s engaged on a prototype heavy obligation industrial truck powered by the brand new gasoline cell stack. Will probably be unveiled earlier than the tip of the present Japanese monetary yr (March 31, 2024), with a manufacturing model slated to go on sale by 2027.
Honda can also be wanting to make use of its newest gasoline cell stack for backup energy turbines and for development equipment, akin to excavators and wheel loaders.
Solely three main automotive teams are presently investing closely in hydrogen gasoline cell expertise: Toyota/BMW, GM/Honda, and Hyundai.
In 2021, Honda dedicated to promoting solely electrical and gasoline cell autos by 2040.
Till lately Toyota was the most ebullient concerning the expertise, seeing it as a vital a part of its zero tailpipe emissions technique. That lately modified when Koji Sato took over as CEO, and shifted the main target of its hydrogen gasoline cell analysis in direction of industrial autos and away from passenger vehicles, just like the Mirai sedan.
Different commercially accessible hydrogen gasoline cell vehicles are the BMW iX5 Hydrogen Gas Cell, and Hyundai Nexo.
Hydrogen gasoline cells mixed hydrogen saved in closely pressurised on-board tanks with atmospheric oxygen to supply electrical energy that’s used to energy an electrical motor that drives the wheels.
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The CR-V Gas Cell most likely received’t look too totally different
As with a conventional petrol-electric hybrid setup, extra vitality manufacturing, in addition to something captured from regenerative braking, is saved in a comparatively small battery pack.
Whereas pure electrical autos can take hours to recharge, hydrogen gasoline cell vehicles have a fast refilling time, which is roughly on par with petrol and diesel autos.
Downsides embrace an absence of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, and huge scale services to supply hydrogen in a inexperienced and environment friendly method.
