In 2002, Honda was the first automaker to introduce a hydrogen-fueled mobile vehicle to the U. S. A U. S. citizen who is qualified to meet all federal protection requirements. Since then, the automaker has introduced two more hydrogen-fueled mobile cars and is now back with a fourth that is arguably the most practical yet, the CR-V e:FCEV, which is also the first to be produced in the United States.
This CR-V has a different configuration than most FCEVs by also having an output. The fuel engine is a device through which air and hydrogen pass through plates coated with a platinum catalyst. The catalyst triggers a chemical reaction that causes hydrogen to mix with oxygen. to produce water and a number of electrons that can be used to force a drive motor (or any other electrical device).
All fuel-powered mobile cars produced in the past by Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and GM can be considered hybrids. All had smaller batteries (usually around 1. 5 kWh) like those found in gas hybrids like the Toyota Prius. The battery CR-V. La hybrid is used to provide regenerative braking, capturing kinetic energy as the vehicle decelerates to accelerate the battery and releasing it from acceleration to reduce the short load on fuel and improve efficiency.
Instead, the CR-V e:FCEV has a 17. 7 kWh battery that can be charged from an outlet to provide an EPA-rated range of 29 miles. The fuel mobile is then used to continue charging the battery and extend the range to 270 miles. Having a larger battery like this to cater a lot to short driving allows for the use of a smaller fuel mobile that works mostly in a steady state, cutting off the load on the system.
Honda isn’t usually the first company to use this type of setup. In early 2007, Ford introduced the HySeries Drive Edge concept. This Edge also used a lithium-ion battery that was intended to supply approximately 50 miles of range and a fuel mobile as a diversity extender. Ford planned to produce at least 100 for a real control fleet, but the task was canceled in 2008 when the global monetary situation and Ford’s own finances began to deteriorate. Since then, other automakers, including Audi, have come up with similar concepts, but I’ve never controlled mass production.
Honda will produce those CR-Vs at its Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio. PMC is a low-volume production facility adjacent to Honda’s main meeting plant in the city near Columbus and was once home to the NSX.
Charging the Honda CR-V e:FCEV Battery
The fuel mobile is the product of a joint development program with General Motors and is manufactured at a joint plant located in Brownstown Township, just south of Detroit. This facility was originally built to assemble battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt. Unlike Honda, GM has abandoned its plans to build lightweight cars powered by fuel-powered mobile vehicles, but its branded version, the Hydrotec Power Cube, is intended for a variety of programs, adding locomotives, aircraft auxiliary propulsion systems and long-haul trucks with Navistar.
In addition to the fixed battery under the floor, the CR-V has two cylindrical hydrogen tanks, one under the rear seat and a larger one in the seat and above the rear axle, which turns out to consume approximately 0. 33 of the rear cargo area.
Honda CR-V e:FCEV
Since California is the only state with hydrogen stations lately, this will be the only place where the CR-V e:FCEV will be available for purchase at this time. Honda hasn’t announced how much it will charge to lease the CR-V when it becomes available later this year. Thankfully, the plug-in capacity means it can be used for maximum commuting without having to go to a hydrogen station, unless you’re on longer journeys. Lately there are only 52 public hydrogen stations in California, with Shell recently terminating all seven stations it operated.
Honda CR-V e:FCEV
Given the incredibly slow speed of construction of hydrogen fueling infrastructure in the U. S. , the U. S. In the U. S. , it is highly unlikely that mobile fuel generation will take hold in consumer cars in this market in the near future. By contrast, the trucking market, where fewer stations are needed on established routes, is much more likely to gain traction.
Despite those challenges, Honda, Toyota and Hyundai continue to try to expand a market for fuel-powered mobile vehicles.