Concept Drive
Twin Ring Motegi
Japan
The future is here, and we're driving it. It sounds part vacuum cleaner, part bizjet, but the FCX -- Honda's hydrogen-fuel-cell car that goes into limited production from next year -- feels remarkably normal in other respects.
Some quick background: The FCX took its first bows in concept form at the 2005 Tokyo show and, at the time, the design study garnered positive reviews from the motoring press for its avant-garde styling and innovative engineering. However, few pundits predicted the car would be a production reality within three years.
Honda has, in essence, trumped other carmakers, including heavyweights such as GM, by announcing at this year's Tokyo motor show that the FCX would go on sale in the US and Japan from next year. Don't expect to see streets crawling with the rakish fuel-cell Hondas (more here on fuel-cells), though, because the high price (likely to be around $110K) and very limited hydrogen refuelling network (even in forward-thinking US states like California) means they'll initially be nothing more than an ultra-niche conveyance.
Be that as it may, it's a highly significant vehicle, and this creates a heightened sense of anticipation as we prepare for our first drive of the FCX prototype (believed to be worth in excess of $5 million). It's a privilege not many will get to experience.
FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE
Sliding into the spacious, ultra-minimalist cockpit, the overriding impression is of having been teleported by time machine into the year 2010 -- that was the widespread forecast of when fuel-cell cars would begin trickling onto the global automotive market.
Facing me is an instrument pod that houses an analogue-dial-mimicking 'Power' readout numbered from 0 to 10 (where each of the digits corresponds to 10kW), and above this is a small digital speedometer. As per a conventional car, there are just two pedals -- brake and accelerator -- and the three-spoke steering wheel is a grippy item trimmed in cream and black leather.
At idle, the only sound is the whine of a high-powered air pump that sucks in air (to provide oxygen for the fuel cell). The FCX sits completely motionless; there's none of the muted, but still detectable, vibrations evident in combustion-engine vehicles.
Our time behind the wheel is limited as we are allowed just two laps of the high-speed bowl at Honda's Twin Ring Motegi racetrack and proving ground.
Time to roll. Engage Drive on the stubby gearshift (for reverse the motor merely switches its direction of rotation), press on the accelerator pedal and the FCX moves off with startling alacrity. That's the beauty of an electric motor -- maximum torque (in this case 256Nm) is on tap from zero revs; there's no gradual build-up, as is the case with a combustion engine.
If you've ever driven a golf cart, you'll know the sensation of moving off from rest with instant thrust. Of course, the FCX is much quicker and more powerful than a contraption you'd career around the greens upon, but the basic principle is the same -- both vehicles rely on electric motors for propulsion.
STACKED WITH POWER
Honda claims the FCX's electric motor combines high efficiency with ample power and torque -- the peak figures are 96kW and 256Nm. These may not sound like much, but the fact that maximum torque is accessible from the rest makes it seem more potent.
These outputs are channelled to the front wheels via a transmission and driveshaft. Nothing tricky here. No, the piece de resistance of the FCX is its hardware for generating the electricity in the first place. This is the domain of the fuel cell system, which is housed under the floor.
The high-pressure hydrogen fuel tanks -- which can hold 171 litres of hydrogen at 350 bar (around 5250psi) -- are tucked under the rear seat to maximise interior space and provide the best possible crash-safety performance. In case you're having anxious flashbacks of the Hindenburg, you needn't worry because the FCX's tanks are ultra-robust -- in fact, they're literally bulletproof.
The hydrogen from these tanks is fed to the fuel-cell 'stack', which then combines the gas with oxygen to form water vapour, and it's this chemical reaction that generates the electricity that drives the motor. See below for a rundown on the key components that go to make up the fuel-cell system.
During start-up and acceleration, electricity is provided by both the fuel cell stack and ultra-capacitor (think of this as a quick-charging battery) to elicit crisp, instant response from the electric motor. There's also a high-efficiency lithium ion battery that contributes to increased power output.
The cycle is essentially reversed during deceleration as the ultra-capacitor recovers the energy released as the vehicle slows down, and stores it along with surplus power from the fuel cell stack. This results in greater fuel efficiency and a natural feel on deceleration as it creates a virtual engine braking effect -- as you'd experience in a combustion-engine vehicle.
During gentle acceleration and in cruise mode, the fuel-cell stack alone supplies the motor with electricity, allowing economical high-speed cruising.
When stationary (such as at traffic lights), the auto idle-stop system shuts off output from the fuel cell stack to reduce fuel consumption. In this instance, electricity required to operate the air-conditioner and other components is supplied by the ultra-capacitor. On startup, the system immediately supplies the necessary power for smooth, powerful acceleration.
There's no doubt hydrogen fuel cells are the way forward as, according to Honda, they have an energy efficiency of around 60 per cent -- approximately three times as good as that of a petrol-engine vehicle and twice that of a hybrid vehicle.
UTTERLY CONVENTIONAL
In real terms, the driving experience is utterly conventional, so much so that my two laps of the high-speed bowl prove something of an anticlimax. The only real difference between driving the FCX and a piston-engined car is the Hoover/Boeing-like whine it emits, in lieu of an exhaust note.
Other than that, it's largely a case of business as usual, which bodes well for the FCX's potential acceptability to mainstream motorists. Despite the modest power output, it motors along at a reasonable clip, and clocking up 145km/h on the speed bowl was easily achieved.
However, the car instils a strange feeling of disconnectedness as there's little in the way of steering feedback, and its overall dynamics are somewhat ponderous. The brake pedal, too, lacks progression. But one must bear in mind that this is just a prototype and the final production version is likely to be better resolved.
The packaging of the car is a revelation. It's 45mm shorter and 15mm lower than a Toyota Camry, yet there's ample leg and headroom for four occupants (there's buckets rather than a bench in the back). It's quite clever when one considers the many drivetrain elements (electric motor, transmission, fuel-cell stack, ultra-capacitor, lithium-ion battery, hydrogen tanks, etc) that needed to be shoehorned into the car.
Visually, the FCX is different enough from the norm to signal that its propulsion comes from something other than a four-stroke engine.
It's impossible to pigeonhole because its shape blurs the boundaries between sedan, hatchback and MPV. The result is attractive -- and Honda should have no problems winning public approval for the car.
Indeed, credit is due to Honda for pushing the boundaries where other carmakers have been content to sit back and allow their strategies to be dictated purely by market forces. The Japanese firm was the first company to mass-market a hybrid (the ungainly Insight) in 1999, and it now stands to be the pioneer in fuel-cell technology.
Being first to market is no guarantee of success, but having a head-start never hurt anyone either. Watch GM and Toyota scurrying to fast-track their interpretations of the theme...
The FCX's key components
Honda FC Stack
PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) electrical generation device. Two lightweight, compact stacks with a total maximum output of 100kW.
Humidification system
The recycled water recovery (fully independent) humidification system recycles water generated in the FC Stack for use in air humidification.
PCU (Power Control Unit)
Controls electrical systems, including FC Stack output, capacitor output, drive motor output, air pump, and cooling pump.
Fuel-cell cooling system
Equipped with one fuel-cell system radiator (large) and two drivetrain radiators (small), specially developed for use in fuel cell vehicles for improved cooling performance.
Honda ultra-capacitor
Delivers instantaneous high-output assist during startup and acceleration and stores recovered energy generated during braking. Combines high responsiveness with high efficiency.
High-pressure hydrogen supply system
Equipped with two tanks. Can be filled with up to 171 litres of hydrogen at approximately 350 bar.
Air supply system
An air pump with a high-voltage electric drive motor supplies the FC Stack with air at the appropriate pressure and flow rate.
FACTFILE
Honda FCX
Powertrain: Electric motor -- powered by hydrogen fuel cell stack, ultra-capacitor and lithium-ion battery
Power: 96kW
Torque: 256Nm
Length: 4760mm
Width: 1865mm
Height: 1445mm
Wheelbase: 2900mm
Kerb weight: 1687kg
Top speed: 160km/h
0-100km/h: 10sec (approx)
Range: 570km
On sale: 2008 (US and Japan only)
Price: $100,000 (approx)
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