By Alisdair Suttie
‘Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed hydrogen power and has made it happen in California,’ says Dr Andrew Cruden, driving force behind the World Hydrogen Technologies Convention (WHTC) in Glasgow. Dr Cruden continues: ‘We may not have an Arnie in the UK, but we do need politicians and decision makers to get behind hydrogen as a fuel if we want to have a sustainable energy future for cars.’
Fuel cell future
This thinking is not just based on the stark realities that fossil fuels will not last forever in sufficient quantities to support current demand, it’s also based on clear economic thinking and existing partnerships. Dr Cruden knows that what is happening in California, and Japan to a similar extent, could also take place in the UK with the help of Honda.
Honda has one of the very few production-built hydrogen-powered cars in its FCX Clarity, which was present at the WHTC. The Japanese firm has swung its considerable engineering and technological weight behind the hydrogen fuel campaign in the USA, supplying 40 FCXs to drivers in California as pioneers for this fuel.
Kate Saxton, Government Affairs and Environment Manager of Honda UK, comments: ‘There’s no reason at all why Honda would not offer the same support to the UK as we’ve provided elsewhere. The success of hydrogen is growing and we can see examples of this in Germany where more filling stations are being built.’
Even with this growth, hydrogen as a sustainable, green fuel still plays second fiddle to the poster boy of clean energy: electricity. However, the reality is hydrogen has the potential to offer much greater flexibility and longer ranges than battery-powered vehicles, yet it retains all of the advantages of pure electric propulsion.
On the road
A prime example of this is the Honda FCX Clarity, which we took for a test drive in and around Glasgow during the WHTC gathering. Looking every inch the sleek saloon, the FCX does not have to make any compromises to accommodate its clever propulsion system. It’s a bespoke design and is partly hand-built on the same production line Honda used to make its NSX supercar, so you can rest assured the FCX is thoroughly engineered.
Honda is also quick to point out the FCX Clarity is a production car, albeit in limited numbers, and it has to meet all of the safety and crash tests any other car is subject to. For the record, the FCX passed all with flying colours and the hydrogen storage tank is every bit as safe and secure as an internal combustion-powered car’s petrol tank.
The large 171-litre hydrogen tank does pinch a bit of boot space in the FCX to gain sufficient capacity to allow the car a useful tank range. On a single fill, the FCX can be expected to travel 270 miles, though Honda insiders tell us this is a very conservative figure to allow for differing driving styles and conditions.
Filling the FCX with hydrogen takes around four minutes, so it’s much the same as for a standard petrol- or diesel-engined car. This is another reason Honda and Dr Cruden both believe hydrogen is a more likely candidate as a replacement for fossil fuels because it works in a much more familiar way for existing car owners than battery-powered cars.
With the tank topped up, we head out into Glasgow. Starting the FCX is as straightforward as any other car, a normal ignition key priming the car and the dash illuminating to let the driver know it’s all system go. Selecting drive with the lever mounted to the right-hand side of the dash pod is also easy and intuitive, especially to anyone who has tried the latest generation of Honda Insight.
Using an automatic gearbox, and with all of the instant low-down shove and torque offered by an electric motor, the FCX pulls away cleanly and with a surprisingly forceful urge. There’s 189lb.ft of shove on offer from the 100kW (129bhp) motor, so getting up to speed in town and on the motorway is no problem, the FCX easily keeping pace with traffic.
What is different to the cars surrounding us as we make our way clear of Glasgow’s centre is the lack of mechanical noise. As there’s no combustion engine, there’s no noise from under the bonnet and nor is there any exhaust noise. The only sounds on offer are the occasional sigh and whirr from the electric motor and hydrogen fuel cell.
As the FCX drives, the hydrogen stored in the car’s fuel tank is converted into electricity by the fuel cell stack. Hydrogen ions are formed by a platinum electrode that then releases electrons to form a direct current of electricity. The hydrogen ions then pass through a one-way membrane where they bond with oxygen and electrons, leaving a supply of electricity and water as the only waste product. Consequently, the Honda not only works as a zero emissions vehicle, its by product is completely harmless to the environment.
Hydrogen can be created by bio-mass, natural gas reformation or electrolysis using photovoltaic, water or wind sources to provide the electricity required. As such, it is possible for hydrogen to be produced in a wholly sustainable way, which is why Dr Cruden and others are so keen to promote hydrogen as a more realistic alternative to fossil fuels instead of battery-powered vehicle being seen as the only game in town.
On our way out of town, the FCX gathers pace easily, its 1625kg weight being comparable to the average family saloon. In every way, this is just how the Honda feels, offering the same ride comfort and bump absorption as the likes of Honda’s own Accord or a Ford Mondeo. It really is that good in the FCX Clarity and makes you wonder why Honda doesn’t just offer this model across the globe to force governments and fuel suppliers into building more hydrogen filling stations.
As well as the comfort, the FCX is easy to drive thanks to light steering and good cornering grip. It feels stable and secure at high speed, mixing with late afternoon traffic with calm efficiency. The only minor downside is the FCX’s styling has an upsweep to the side window line that makes over-the-shoulder vision slightly limited, so you need an extra glance in the door mirrors before committing to a lane change.
This is a very minor gripe, however, and the FCX Clarity acquits itself more than admirably during our test drive. The seamless transmission makes it relaxing, the lack of mechanical, wind and road noise adds to the sense of harmony, and there is none of the range anxiety experienced in the likes of the Nissan Leaf. Put your foot down hard in the Leaf and you notice a consequent drop in range whereas the FCX still has plenty in reserve. Only the Vauxhall Ampera/Chevrolet Volt twins can rival the Honda FCX Clarity on this score, yet neither of these two are zero emissions, so the Honda has the upper hand here.
Challenges ahead
The only area where the Honda doesn’t have the upper hand, it would seem, is the near complete lack of a hydrogen infrastructure in the UK. There are promises of more in and around London and Honda has just opened a new filling point at its Swindon factory. However, until the UK is better served with hydrogen filling stations, the Honda FCX Clarity is let down not by any fault of its own but by a poor network of filling stations.
As Dr Cruden comments: ‘There’s a certain amount of chicken and egg with hydrogen filling stations. Until there’s more demand, we won’t see more filling points, but without a better infrastructure it’s hard for drivers to use a hydrogen-fuelled car. This is why we need government, car makers and fuel suppliers to pull together. With a coordinated effort, the UK could replace oil with hydrogen, not only as a fuel for our own needs, but as an export.’
When looked at in these terms, it’s hard not to be impressed by the science and engineering on show at the World Hydrogen Technologies Convention. Drive the Honda FCX Clarity and it becomes even clearer that hydrogen should, and must, form a part of the motoring future. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait for Arnie Schwarzenegger to make a reappearance as The Terminator before this happens.
