Filed under: Hydrogen, Honda, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, LA Auto Show, First Drive
First Drive: 2009 Honda FCX Clarity on the road
It's ironic that the FCX Clarity debuted at this time in this place just weeks after much of the surrounding hillsides were engulfed in flames. Fires at this time of year are pretty typical in this region, but 2007 was especially bad after a long period of drought. Global warming probably didn't cause these fires, but the high temperatures and strong winds certainly amplified the problem. We turned off the PCH by the Pepperdine University campus and headed up Malibu Canyon Rd.
Amidst the recently scorched surroundings of the Malibu hills, the electric drive of the FCX proved once again that torque is key to driving pleasure in the real world, much more so than horsepower. The electric motor only puts out 136 hp but the 189 lb-ft torque is available instantly when you press the go pedal. When the demand for forward momentum exceeds the output of the fuel cell, a lithium ion battery mounted under the rear seat provides extra electrons to the get the motor spinning faster. The single-speed transmission mounted co-axially with the motor also means no shifts to interrupt the flow of acceleration.
Pressing the pedal on the left brings plenty of negative acceleration. The pedal feel is firm and the brakes modulate easily. The electronic braking controls seamlessly blend friction and regenerative braking. During light to moderate braking most of the kinetic energy that's dissipated gets fed back into that lithium ion battery for re-use later. Pressing the pedal harder adds in friction braking as needed. Don't bother asking who the battery supplier is or what kind of chemistry it uses. I asked several Honda reps and got nothing more than non-committal smiles.
What you don't get is noise of any significance. The muted hum of the motor is barely audible and the slick aerodynamics mean no wind noise either. It's not quite as tomb-like as a Lexus but it's quieter than an Acura RL. Through the twists of the canyon road, the Clarity always remained flat and stable. With the lightweight structure and all the hardware mounted low in the chassis, the FCX probably has a very low center of gravity which combines with the double wishbone suspension to keep everything under control. None of the surfaces we tried were quite up to the quality standard of Michigan roads I'm used to, so it's hard to really judge the ride quality but it certainly didn't feel any worse than a new Accord.
On the way back down the canyon, we stopped by the Malibu Presbyterian Church which was destroyed by the fires. One has to wonder if a world full of cars like the FCX spewing nothing but water from their exhaust might have alleviated the severity of the inferno. Perhaps, perhaps not, but either way one thing is certain. Looking at the FCX Clarity strictly as a car, ignoring the advanced power source, it comes across as an exceptionally roomy, quiet, fine handling car with decent acceleration and modern styling. Oh yeah there's no toxic emissions either. But if you skip over that last part, it's just a really good car.
Getting one will be somewhat more problematic than driving one. When they launch next summer, they will be available in Japan and in Southern California in limited numbers. To get one you'll have to live within reasonable proximity of one of the hydrogen filling stations. Honda is also looking for customers who have a reasonably high income and a multi-car household. The main reason for the latter is so that if customers need to take a longer trip they have an option. The Clarity might have a 270-mile range, but filling stations are still extremely limited. The Nav system is programmed to pull up locations of hydrogen stations and give directions if needed.
If you do qualify, the Clarity will cost you $600 a month for three years which will get you the car, maintenance and collision insurance. The insurance is because the actual cost of the cars is still high enough to be prohibitively expensive. Unlike with GM's Project Driveway, lessees will have to pony up for fuel. However, that shouldn't be too painful. The FCX averages 68 miles/kg with 1 kg of hydrogen having almost the equivalent energy content to a gallon of gasoline. A new four-cylinder Accord averages in the mid-twenties on gasoline or about one third of the FCX's mileage.
As for the cost of hydrogen, the stations that currently exist in California are selling it for about $5/kg retail. With gasoline currently running close to $4/gallon in the same area, the FCX will be a lot cheaper to operate. Assuming 25 mpg at $4, an Accord would cost $43.20 to drive 270 miles. The same distance in an FCX Clarity at $5/kg will run $19.85. That's not a bad deal for taking a huge leap into the future. When it comes to concerns about cars being taken back at the end of a lease, the rationale is that this technology is still developing.
The current price point is still well below the cost and Honda will likely reclaim these particular units at some point in the future as the vehicles evolve. Neither Honda nor anyone else is exactly sure where it's going to go although Honda seems fully committed to the program. Current Honda fuel cell vehicle lessees like the Spallino family have had their leases extended until the new cars are available. Moving forward as manufacturing costs drop and hydrogen hopefully becomes more available at retail, the program will evolve and grow. For now, Honda is the first to make dedicated fuel cell-powered car that, aside from geographical fueling restrictions, requires essentially no compromises from drivers. It's as fully functional as any mid-luxury sedan on the market today with all the expected amenities, lower-than-normal operating costs and a style doesn't look out of place in one of the most affluent areas of this country.
Amidst the recently scorched surroundings of the Malibu hills, the electric drive of the FCX proved once again that torque is key to driving pleasure in the real world, much more so than horsepower. The electric motor only puts out 136 hp but the 189 lb-ft torque is available instantly when you press the go pedal. When the demand for forward momentum exceeds the output of the fuel cell, a lithium ion battery mounted under the rear seat provides extra electrons to the get the motor spinning faster. The single-speed transmission mounted co-axially with the motor also means no shifts to interrupt the flow of acceleration.
Pressing the pedal on the left brings plenty of negative acceleration. The pedal feel is firm and the brakes modulate easily. The electronic braking controls seamlessly blend friction and regenerative braking. During light to moderate braking most of the kinetic energy that's dissipated gets fed back into that lithium ion battery for re-use later. Pressing the pedal harder adds in friction braking as needed. Don't bother asking who the battery supplier is or what kind of chemistry it uses. I asked several Honda reps and got nothing more than non-committal smiles. What you don't get is noise of any significance. The muted hum of the motor is barely audible and the slick aerodynamics mean no wind noise either. It's not quite as tomb-like as a Lexus but it's quieter than an Acura RL. Through the twists of the canyon road, the Clarity always remained flat and stable. With the lightweight structure and all the hardware mounted low in the chassis, the FCX probably has a very low center of gravity which combines with the double wishbone suspension to keep everything under control. None of the surfaces we tried were quite up to the quality standard of Michigan roads I'm used to, so it's hard to really judge the ride quality but it certainly didn't feel any worse than a new Accord.
On the way back down the canyon, we stopped by the Malibu Presbyterian Church which was destroyed by the fires. One has to wonder if a world full of cars like the FCX spewing nothing but water from their exhaust might have alleviated the severity of the inferno. Perhaps, perhaps not, but either way one thing is certain. Looking at the FCX Clarity strictly as a car, ignoring the advanced power source, it comes across as an exceptionally roomy, quiet, fine handling car with decent acceleration and modern styling. Oh yeah there's no toxic emissions either. But if you skip over that last part, it's just a really good car.
Getting one will be somewhat more problematic than driving one. When they launch next summer, they will be available in Japan and in Southern California in limited numbers. To get one you'll have to live within reasonable proximity of one of the hydrogen filling stations. Honda is also looking for customers who have a reasonably high income and a multi-car household. The main reason for the latter is so that if customers need to take a longer trip they have an option. The Clarity might have a 270-mile range, but filling stations are still extremely limited. The Nav system is programmed to pull up locations of hydrogen stations and give directions if needed.
If you do qualify, the Clarity will cost you $600 a month for three years which will get you the car, maintenance and collision insurance. The insurance is because the actual cost of the cars is still high enough to be prohibitively expensive. Unlike with GM's Project Driveway, lessees will have to pony up for fuel. However, that shouldn't be too painful. The FCX averages 68 miles/kg with 1 kg of hydrogen having almost the equivalent energy content to a gallon of gasoline. A new four-cylinder Accord averages in the mid-twenties on gasoline or about one third of the FCX's mileage.
As for the cost of hydrogen, the stations that currently exist in California are selling it for about $5/kg retail. With gasoline currently running close to $4/gallon in the same area, the FCX will be a lot cheaper to operate. Assuming 25 mpg at $4, an Accord would cost $43.20 to drive 270 miles. The same distance in an FCX Clarity at $5/kg will run $19.85. That's not a bad deal for taking a huge leap into the future. When it comes to concerns about cars being taken back at the end of a lease, the rationale is that this technology is still developing.
The current price point is still well below the cost and Honda will likely reclaim these particular units at some point in the future as the vehicles evolve. Neither Honda nor anyone else is exactly sure where it's going to go although Honda seems fully committed to the program. Current Honda fuel cell vehicle lessees like the Spallino family have had their leases extended until the new cars are available. Moving forward as manufacturing costs drop and hydrogen hopefully becomes more available at retail, the program will evolve and grow. For now, Honda is the first to make dedicated fuel cell-powered car that, aside from geographical fueling restrictions, requires essentially no compromises from drivers. It's as fully functional as any mid-luxury sedan on the market today with all the expected amenities, lower-than-normal operating costs and a style doesn't look out of place in one of the most affluent areas of this country.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jerry Hightower 4:01AM (11/19/2007)
Honda is light years ahead of everybody else with this vehicle. I'm sure they will gain a vast amount of knowlege from these leases. Way to go Honda. Honda is a much better design than the much overrated Toyota.
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dialing_wand 8:38AM (11/19/2007)
@ Jerry:
That's a bit of an overstatement (to put it mildly.) I'm no Toyota fanboy, but the current Prius model (gen 2) has been around for about 10 years now. Add to that this car (Clarity) looks like a giant Prius (in shape) and uses a hybrid electric/hydrogen engine.
Yes, it's clear that this is an importantly evolutionary step; comparing the Clarity to a 10 year old design (that has been in full production over those 10 years) and saying the later is overrated in comparison, is a little far fetched.
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dialing_wand 8:39AM (11/19/2007)
Correction: Prius has been around for 10 years, Gen 2 - 5.
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Moose 10:01AM (11/19/2007)
The Prius is highly over-rated, in that the MPG estimates of 45+ aren't regularly reached except by the most aggressive hyper-milers. And even if you are averaging 45MPG in a car that's zero fun to drive, you're really gaining very little fuel savings over a much more fun car that gets 36mpg (of which there are many).
The Prius is a status symbol, and little more. Its impact on fossil-fuel dependency is really very small.
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Don 3:34PM (8/13/2008)
I recently bought a 6 year old Prius and regularly average in excess of 55 MPG. I typically drive at or just below the speed limit, and occasionally check the MPG display, but I do not consider myself to be a hyper-miler. As far as fun to drive - maybe I am just a dull sort of geek who doesn't need single digit 0 to 60 acceleration to find pleasure in a vehicle. The 400 CI Goat that I drove in the 60s was fun, but I've grown up since then. Maybe it's time the rest of the world did too.
J.Crew 11:41AM (11/19/2007)
For starters, this is one very cool car and good job Honda for producing it. However, if GM did this and said "lease only, please return at the end with no option to buy" this forum would blow up in anger. People will fall in love with this car the same way they did with the EV1 and others that were once available. Please remember that it is a lease this time with no option to buy!
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Chad C 12:23PM (11/19/2007)
What's it like looking out the back window of that car? And how's the blindspots? I have to imagine they are both pretty bad.
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JM 1:32PM (11/19/2007)
Hondo or Toyota, it doesn't matter to me. Yes, in the end they're really all about making a profit, but in the process, they're making a positive impact to the environment as they try to innovate and outdo each other.
I like the progress Honda has achieved - this is testament to their engineering prowess. Not bad for this car to achieve 68 miles per kg of H2, without sacrificing torque. Honda is indeed light years ahead in this technology; and factor in Honda's good tract record of reliability, you have a really sweet (though still expensive) car. I hope their solar-powered, tap water-to-H2 home energy station would get cheaper one day, then we would see a revolution in the auto industry.
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Alan 7:33PM (11/19/2007)
Prius is zero fun?! I love mine and I do regularly get over 45mpg. While it doesn't have the pure torque that my Mustang had, it takes corners and breaks at least as well. Plus, the stealthy creep through parking lots and heavy traffic is cool and unique. Even my worst day of climbing hills never saw 35mpg.
Back to the topic, here, This FCX looks great and I'd love to get one when the price comes down to regular-guy levels.
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Cayman-man 9:01AM (12/02/2008)
Sorry, Alan, but anyone who came from a Mustang (Yikes!) is not too qualified to talk about 'fun to drive'. I'll stick to my Porsche (the one with the engine in the right place) until the Honda FC Sport Concept becomes available. You have to love Honda for what they have had the guts to achieve. Gooooo, Honda!!
valenr 12:57AM (11/20/2007)
Looks like Honda is on to something here. I'm not sold on the styling at all but the technology is definitely there and I'm glad to see Honda kept good handling characteristics while doing it.
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Scott 11:59AM (11/20/2007)
This car is by far the best news I've heard in 15 years. The whole Prius/gas hybrid industry is a joke. As for Toyota being 10 years ahead of Honda, you are dead wrong. I had a Honda in 1992 that lived up to its EPA estimates of 48mpg city and 55mpg highway. It was the 1992 Honda Civic VX, look it up. I wish they would make this car again. I put over 169,000 miles on this car and it still got over 40-45mpg. Just for an afterthought, I was 16 when I got this car and I did not drive it like a grandma and it still beat the Prius's EPA estimates. Go figure, we've sure come a long way in 15 years...
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armmat 5:15AM (11/25/2007)
You're comparing a Prius with space for 5 people and all luxury items WHILE getting 45MPG+ to a Honda Civic VX that didn't even come with A/C??? What a laugh...get real.
Like all relatively new technologies, the Prius is a stepping stone to something better...I just don't understand how people can't figure out that very simple idea.
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Justin 10:42AM (11/26/2007)
I dig it. The home fueling station is an excellent idea, but it's still using natural gas to get the hydrogen and natural gas is still a finite resource (as is water, for that matter). While i like the way this is going as far as lowering emissions and extending mileage, i think we're still a long way off from depending on oil (in one form or another) to run our cars. The Clairity seems to be an excellent stepping stone.
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charles Simms 4:38PM (11/26/2007)
We drove an 98 Honda CRX 2 door for over 100 k miles, had low maintenance by local shop, got 38 to 44 mpg most of time, town or highway.Yes it was small but freezing AC, etc. Grandson has it now. Our '04 Honda Civic Hybrid 4 door, with CV transmission just gave us over 38mpg on 6kmile trip loaded with 2 season clothes, gifts, etc. It is interesting to calculate total cost for driving as all local trade ins seem to be lease, when they traded up for same cost. Now, please try to justify the Clarity price and cost per mile, especially when you add in the cost for the 3 block area burned up when Hydrogen ignites. After 40 years in the process control system industry, we made chemical plants as safe as possible, but they still blew up. Is our technology ready for general public?
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Benson Leung 2:54PM (11/28/2007)
I don't understand why everyone automatically assumes that the Prius can't reach EPA ratings.
I did a fair amount of driving over the holiday, all highway miles from Boston to New York and back. Average MPG on the way down to NYC was 55 MPG. Coming back up, 52 MPG. Weather was cold and rainy.
However way you cut it, I beat the old EPA rating of 51 MPG, and blow away the new 2008 one at 45 MPG.
I'm no hypermiler, but I drive with a fairly light foot. My lifetime mileage is right around 50 MPG. Certainly now 55 MPG, but beats the 46 MPG on the 2008 cycle.
I can't understand why some people here want to compare the Prius to 15 or 20 year old Hondas, which didn't have as aggressive emissions control technology as modern cars, don't have safety features like side airbags, traction control, or whatnot, and are significantly smaller and underpowered compared to the Prius. People just want to minimize the Prius instead of acknowledging that it is by far the most efficient car on the road in the US today.
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Trevor 1:33PM (12/05/2007)
Electric vehicles are the best way forward and fuel cell technology is proven in space capsules and submarines already. I think that Honda has combined an acceptable vehicle in terms of design and hardware and have introduced an outstanding solution to consumer expectations for a viable alternative to fossil fuel burners.
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Michael Jennings 11:20AM (12/07/2007)
We own a 2004 Prius and average about 48 mpg. Our purchase of the car was intentional, our small contribution to the commercialization of more fuel efficient autos. It is gratifying that all the auto makers now have active programs to create and market efficient vehicles. The sales success of the Prius played a huge role in dispelling the conventional wisdom (ignorance?) that creating green cars was a bad business decision.
The best thing about the Prius is not the average MPG when moving, it's the ability to turn off the engine and use the batteries to support functions when you are stuck in traffic. Why can't all gas vehicles be required to not burn fuel when you are not moving.
The holy grail should be about the total embodied energy that is consumed in the production of the vehicle and it's fuel and the operating efficiency when in use. Honda has made a great contribution to creating a new understanding about what a car could be with the Clarity, but so has Toyota with it's Prius.
Many of the Automotive followers will make poor imitations of these companies pioneering efforts so that they can slap the Hybrid logo on their vehicles, but as long as their are inventive and resourceful companies like Honda and Toyota progress will continue.
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edson andre' johnson 2:26PM (12/14/2007)
Hi,Wellgreat te Honda Clarity fuel cell hydrogen is a great concept. But, hyrogen is still a tricky fuel to make and to use! Understand that a static lone has to be placed down to fuel up Hydrogen propeled vehilcles! So no electric sparks to ignite the Hydrogen.How many of us will want to do that? No EV Electric Vehicles are better.Why not use the wireless transmited eletric power concept of still forgotten genius Nikola Tesla(1856-1943) To broadcast eletric power to EVS?
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Fran 3:33PM (12/14/2007)
Did you all forget about the Honda Insight? 60MPG
Honda is ahead of it's time... BTW, the car had A/C too and had get up and go... it also shut off when at an idle stop.
My VW Jetta GLI got 38mpg highway and that was in '86.. A/C, quick, comfort for 4 ect.
To me, they should have cars getting 80 mpg with the technology we have... 38 mpg 20 years ago is better than what most cars get now... Go figure?
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