The dream of a hydrogen economy took one step closer to becoming reality today:
Honda’s new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to Southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring.
The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.
Unfortunately, we have a ways to go before the hydrogen fuel cell cars become the norm, mainly because of a “dearth of hydrogen fuel stations.” Honda limited sales of the Clarity to customers living in the areas of SoCal with hydrogen stations.
Even in eco-chic California, the necessary infrastructure doesn’t yet exist for fuel cells to beat out the internal combustion engine:
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for a statewide network of hydrogen stations, but progress has been slow.
The state has also recently relaxed a mandate for the number of zero-emission cars it aims to have on roads. By 2014, automakers must now sell 7,500 electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, a reduction of 70 percent.
Still, it’s very cool to have these zero-emissions cars on the road, even if that road doesn’t extend out of southern California.
