Honda has begun testing a solar-powered hydrogen refuelling device for home use, in the hope that the prototype could help solve a global lack of refuelling infrastructure for hydrogen cars.
The carmaker, which is leasing its FCX Clarity hydrogen-fuel cell car in California, is now testing the solar-powered pump at it U.S. headquarters also based in California.
According to The Detroit News, the device makes half a kilogram of hydrogen gas per day, enough for an average daily commute. The hydrogen fuel is generated from water and electricity produced by 6 kilowatts of rooftop solar panels.
Plans by Honda to sell and develop hydrogen-fuelled cars have stalled in the United States due to a lack of fuel stations, high costs and a diversion of federal funds towards electric-powered cars.
Currently Honda runs a limited lease programme of its FCX Clarity fuel cell sedan to drivers in the Los Angeles because the city has some hydrogen refuelling stations. Actress, Jamie Lee Curtis is one of the limited numbers of people who have been lucky enough to lease the model, believed to cost around $600 a month.
Honda has yet to confirm how much the Solar Hydrogen Station will cost and when it will be available, although the device is expected to be cheaper and smaller than a previous solar-powered fuel pump tested in California. It is designed for a slow, overnight refill to hold down ‘costs and complexity’, the company said in an email statement to the newspaper.
Carmakers developing hydrogen-fuelled vehicles include BMW, Toyota and GM but so far costs and a lack of refuelling infrastructure have been two major obstacles to the widespread adoption of the ‘zero emission’ technology.
