Honda - History Of Innovation - FCX Concept Sedan

In 1963 the Honda Motor Company brought out its first car called the S500 and in 1966 they entered the world market with the S800. 1972 saw the design and manufacture of one of their best known automotive brands, the Civic which was instantly a huge success throughout the globe and positioned Honda as the industry pace setter that it is today.

Now in 2007, forty-one years after the introduction of their first car, Honda again appears to be establishing the trend and gaining engineering leadership with Fuel Cell Vehicles with their new FCX Concept 4-door sedan. This is not to glorify Honda, but it is remarkable where their vision on how transportation should integrate in harmony with the environment is taking them.

The FCX Concept is a fully designed for production fuel cell vehicle, with a 127 hp (95Kw) AC synchronous electric motor for propulsion, manufactured by Honda. It is not a hybrid, but a 100% fuel cell vehicle and produces zero emissions (water is the exhaust). The FCX Concept has a remarkable top speed of 160 kph (100 mph). Its fuel source is compressed hydrogen, with a tank capacity of 171 litres, and it has an on-board storage medium for power using Lithium Ion batteries. It has a Honda V-Flow fuel cell stack and the vehicle is able to function in up to -30 C temperatures. Honda has been able to lower the riding height of the vehicle to conventional standards, by designing the fuel cell powertrain to fit in the transmission tunnel.

The other significant barrier that Honda has overcome is to get the range (distance) that the FCX Concept can travel on a tank of hydrogen to 570 km. Honda plans to begin limited marketing of the FCX Concept in California and Japan in the beginning of 2008.