Honda is known for its innovative projects, and now the automaker has committed to producing reasonably-priced fuel cell vehicle for the general public by 2020. This may seem like quite some time, but it's actually an impressive goal for the technology, which is extremely feasible and efficient but not very affordable.
The managing officer in charge of Honda's drivetrains, Koichi Fukuo, explains the impact this new vehicle would make, stating, "We have to lower our costs so it makes business sense to try to reach a mass market by 2020," and that the price "will have to be reduced to several million yen and the upper limits (of the prices) would have to be similar to those of the premium grade vehicles in each segment."1. To sum it up nicely, fuel cell cars are sure to be a hit as soon as they're more affordable.
If you still don't quite understand fuel cell technology, here's a quick explanation: Fuel cell vehicles run on the power generated by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. No emissions are produced from this type of technology.
To reduce the cost of future fuel cell cars, Honda joined forces with General Motors, which is known for its chemical reaction knowledge. Right now, no other automakers are being asked to join the project.
Be sure to stay tuned here with Honda of Ames' blog for all of the latest news from our favorite automaker, and don't forget to check out our current selection of fuel-efficient vehicles here in Ames, IA, as well!
Source: 1http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2013/07/16/honda-seeks-mass-market-fuel-cell-car-by-2020/
