Environmental sustainability is influencing technology and developments like never before. A fitting example is the debut of the Honda FCX Clarity concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year. To be retailed in limited numbers in mid-2008 the FCX Clarity is a next-generation, zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle based on the entirely-new Honda V Flow fuel cell platform, and powered by the highly compact, efficient and powerful Honda V Flow fuel cell stack.

Featuring tremendous improvements to driving range, power, weight and efficiency - and boasting a low-slung, dynamic and sophisticated appearance, previously unachievable in a fuel cell vehicle - the FCX Clarity marks the significant progress Honda continues to make in advancing the real-world performance and appeal of the hydrogen-powered fuel cell car.

Going into the details of the platform indicates that the FCX Clarity utilises Honda's V Flow stack in combination with a new compact and efficient lithium ion battery pack and a single hydrogen storage tank to power the vehicle's electric drive motor. The fuel cell stack operates as the vehicle's main power source. The ultra-compact, lightweight and powerful Honda V Flow fuel cell stack (65 per cent smaller than the previous Honda FC stack) is located in the vehicle's center tunnel, between the two front seats. Taking advantage of a completely new cell configuration the vertically-oriented stack achieves an output of 100kW (as against 86kW in the current Honda FC stack), marking a 50 percent increase in output density by volume (67 per cent by mass). The compact size of the stack allows for a more spacious interior and more efficient packaging of other powertrain components, which would otherwise be unattainable in a sleek, low-slung sedan.

Hydrogen combines with atmospheric oxygen in the fuel cell stack, where chemical energy from the reaction is converted into electric power used to propel the vehicle. Additional energy captured through regenerative braking and deceleration is stored in the lithium ion battery pack, and used to supplement power from the fuel cell, when needed. The vehicle's only emission is water.

A shining symbol of the progress Honda has made with fuel cell vehicles and the belief in the promise of this technology according to Tetsuo Iwamura, American Honda president and CEO, the FCX Clarity, in keeping with its theme as an environmentally-advanced automobile features seat upholstery and door linings made from Honda Bio-Fabric - a newly-developed, plant-based material that offers CO₂ reductions as an alternative to traditional interior materials, along with outstanding durability and resistance to wear, stretching, and damage from sunlight. Equipped with a full compliment of advanced safety, comfort and convenience features, including a state-of-the-art navigation system with hydrogen station locations, backup camera, premium audio, climate-controlled seats and Bluetooth connectivity, the FCX Clarity employs shift-by-wire, electric power steering (EPS) and a newly-designed instrument panel with an easy-to-read hydrogen fuel-consumption display.

Coming to CO₂ emissions and the FCX Clarity's only emission is water. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) emissions come only from the production of hydrogen, which varies by source; however, well-to-wheel CO₂ emissions using hydrogen reformed from natural gas - the most widely used method of production today - are less than half that of a conventional gasoline vehicle. With the production of hydrogen from water by electrolysis, CO₂ emissions can be further reduced and ultimately approach zero if the electricity used for electrolysis is generated using solar, wind, water or nuclear power. Honda has developed its own solar cells, with half of the CO₂ emissions in the production stage compared to conventional crystalline silicon cells; and has begun mass-production and retail sales of this technology in Japan for both commercial and residential use.

Pointing at the FCX Clarity Iwamura adds, "Step by step, with continuous effort, commitment and focus, we are working to overcome obstacles to the mass-market potential of zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell auto mobiles