Honda lost the hybrid battle with Toyota one decade ago, when its Insight model failed to be as popular as the Prius. Now, Honda promises to battle Toyota more wisely when it comes to fuell cell propulsion. After Toyota launched Mirai across europe, Honda is ready to launch its offensive.
The first examples of Clarity Fuel Cell have arrived in Europe. The first six vehicles will be based with customers in London and Copenhagen as part of the Hydrogen for Innovative Vehicles (HyFIVE) demonstration project.
The new Clarity Fuel Cell is the first fuel cell sedan to house the entire stack underneath the bonnet, making the cabin spacious enough to carry five occupants. A recent US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) test measured an effective range of 366 miles (589 km), greater than any other production zero emissions vehicle.
The HyFIVE project aims to promote the awareness and adoption of fuel cell vehicle technology and infrastructure across Europe. Once deployment is completed, 185 Fuel Cell Vehicles from five automotive manufacturers will be with private and corporate customers across Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sweden and UK.
Thomas Brachmann, Chief Project Engineer, Honda Research and Development and leader of Honda’s Clarity Fuel Cell programme in Europe, said ”Honda has always been one of the leaders in the field of hydrogen fuel cell technology, with over 30 years of research and development behind us. The arrival of these vehicles in Europe and Honda’s participation in HyFIVE is the next step towards Honda’s vision of the full commercialisation of this technology.”
