Honda to build solar hydrogen station at Saitama Prefectural Office; FCX Clarity to serve as mobile electric generator
20 April 2011
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will build a Solar Hydrogen Station on the grounds of the Saitama Prefectural Office and introduce an electric-power-outlet-equipped FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle within the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. The initiative is part of the Electric Vehicle Testing Program for Honda’s next-generation personal mobility products, in which Honda and Saitama Prefecture are currently collaborating.
Honda will equip the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle with an outlet to function as a 10 kW or higher power source, the approximate equivalent of the power required by 2 households (assuming an average household uses approximately 5 kW of electricity). With its new outlet, the vehicle will be able to serve as a zero-emission mobile electric generator.
In March 2009, Honda and Saitama Prefecture concluded an agreement to collaborate on environmental issues. Based on this agreement, since December 2010, Honda has been implementing an Electric Vehicle Testing Program in Saitama that features advanced electromotive technology and communications and telematics to help realize a low-carbon mobility society in the future.
Within this program, the Saitama Prefectural Office Solar Hydrogen Station will represent the hydrogen-powered society of the future, while the specially equipped FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle will refuel at the solar powered station and serve as both a vehicle and a high-capacity electric generator. This setup will allow Honda to do extensive testing on the technological capabilities and operational requirements of the Solar Hydrogen Station in a real-world urban environment.
The FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle became available for lease in the US in July 2008 and in Japan in November of the same year. In January 2010 at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., Honda began experimental operation of a compact, quiet and low-cost next-generation Solar Hydrogen Station for household use.
What would be the going price of their Low cost next generation Solar Domestic Hydrogen Station? Could be interesting to supply both house and vehicle FC if enough can be stored for rainy days?
Posted by: HarveyD | 20 April 2011 at 09:52 AM
Natural gas could be turned into hydrogen at the fueling station, but that brings up infrastructure outside the home fueling station.
That is why I favor synthetic gasoline made from natural gas and then biomass. It goes with what we have now and makes sensible transition more possible over time.
There are those that say we should eliminate liquid fuels and go to EVs by the millions now, that to extend domestically made liquid fuels is a barrier to transition, I do not agree.
Posted by: SJC | 21 April 2011 at 08:04 AM
Just use straight compressed natural gas. Perhaps LINDE will eventually make a small efficient version of their liquid ionic salt compressor. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 22 April 2011 at 03:37 PM
Yes, CNG is much better if you have room for the tanks and a natural gas compressor, but right now we have more than 200 million cars that run on liquid fuels. They are working on a method to convert natural gas to methanol directly and more efficiently. The Methanol To Gasoline process is said to be more than 90% efficient.
If the direct methanol conversion can be more than 70% and the MTG can be more than 90% then you have better than 65% overall from natural gas to gasoline. Energy in to energy out of oil to gasoline is less than 80% and when you take into account drilling, pumping and transporting the oil and gasoline, you come out somewhat comparable.
Posted by: SJC | 23 April 2011 at 04:12 PM