Honda Begins Operation of New Solar Hydrogen Station

Owners of a Honda FCX Clarity may find the development below contributing to the the 'convenience' of owning a hydrogen powered Honda. The article is sourced from WorldCarFans:

Honda has launched a new solar-powered hydrogen fueling station capable of refilling fuel cell electric vehicles overnight. The device, under development for ten years, could theoretically be installed in the home garage of any future customer.

The single-unit station produces 0.5 kilograms of hydrogen over an eight-hour period. Sadly, many consumers would likely not find this to be purposeful in many situations. 0.5 kg of hydrogen will only move the Honda FCX Clarity a total of 30 miles.

Honda's new home station is not meant to replace commercial filling stations, which will still be necessary to fully fill a vehicle quickly, often in less than five-minutes. The slow-fill home-based station would be used to reduce costs to the end user.

A full "fast fill" at a commercial location would provide the Honda FCX Clarity with a 285-mile range, according to a press release. However, the FCX Clarity's range is listed at 240 miles on the official website for the vehicle.

Honda claims the fuel is produced more efficiently in the new home station than previous solar units, with enough hydrogen created for a typical urban or suburban commute. This efficiency was increased by 25% thanks to a smaller and lighter "high differential pressure electrolyser," replacing a system made up of an electrolyser and separate compressor.

Because the system is missing a storage unit, the station will only produce hydrogen when a vehicle is connected. Although some would no doubt prefer to refuel quickly by tapping into a storage tank, the tank would likely prevent the system from being installed at many homes due to land-usage and zoning rules.

The system's solar panels hook up to the grid, sending electricity during daylight if a vehicle is not hooked up. Honda says most customers would use off-peak electricity to power the station when recharging overnight.

Honda Stream RSZ Now Available In Malaysia

Honda claimed that their new MPV is a 7 day coupe clearly highlights the Sportiness of the vehicle. The biggest challenger to the Stream MPV in Malaysia is the Toyota wish but the latest incarnation that looks very much shrunken estima/previa has not arrived on our shores yet. This will perhaps give Honda Malaysia to attract customers yearning for a fresh product in that segment.

Back to the new Stream RSZ which is powered by 1.8-litre i-VTEC engine pumping out maximum power of 140ps (103 kW) at 6300 rpm with maximum torque of 174 Nm coming at 4300 rpm. The RSZ features drive by wire technology & the engine is paired with a 5-speed transmission with paddle shifters.

The front suspension is the usual Macpherson Strut with what Honda call Reactive Linkn Double Wishbone at the rear for better comfort & handling. Safety wise the Stream RSZ has Dual-front airbags, vehicle stability assists (VSA), Electronic Brakeforce distribution (EBD) & Traction Control.

Honda Malaysia is asking for RM 154,714.10 (w/o insurance)for the Stream in the Peninsular which is quite high considering a full size MPV Mitsubishi Grandis goes for RM 160,557.80 sans insurance. I have included the brochure in pdf format.











Stream

Mugen Honda Civic Type-R

Those living in europe & has £38,599 to spare can get their hands on Mugen's Honda Civic Type-R. For such astronomical price you get to customize your very own unit as you will be in touch with the engineers that are responsible for your Civic. Under the bonnet you will find the 2.0 liter i-VTEC engine forged by Mugen using expertise gained from their involvement in F1 & GT racing. The powerplant is capable of churning out 237 horsepower along with a 10-percent torque improvement across the rev range. This feat is achieved by changing the pistons to improve the compression ratio, having a stainless steel exhaust pipes & a good tweak of the ECU. Forged alloy wheels capping four-piston mono-block racing brake calipers offer better breaking power to complement the increase in number of ponnies. If you are interested you ought to hurry up as only 20-units will be built.



Source : Honda

Honda Skydeck Concept

The third and the final installment of the Honda Trio that is going to garner attention for Honda at the Tokyo Motor Show (if you don't consider Honda's version of a Segway Sans one wheel U3-X). The 6 seater Skydeck MPV has a 2 + 2 +2 seating which is different from the now discontinued Honda Edix which is a 3 + 3. I can guess why Honda named it the skydeck by looking at the apparently 'floating' seat you see in the second image to add to that, the interior was design to the tune of an airy minimalist room theme giving a feeling of zen. Like the previous two concepts , details of the drivetrain has not been disclosed by Honda. The Skydeck stands out among the crowd of MPVs due to the fact it has a Scissors door up front (mommy & daddy can relinquish their younger days of just being alone in a sports car).


Source : Honda

Honda EV-N

It started with Volkswagen with the Beetle, BMW got inspired and decided to by the right for MINI from the Brits. The Italians followed soon with the Fiat 500. Now Honda has the EV-N paying homage to the old Honda life in a form of an electric car. No technical details have been release by Honda yet but one can see the U3-X Segway-like unicycles which is smartly strapped to the passenger door. Good for those who are lazy to walk after reaching their destination, unfortunately this will lead to a bigger belly overtime due to inactivity. If you look at one of the images below you will notice a solar panel on the roof harnessing power from the sun to recharge the battery. If you don't like the seat's pattern you can opt for one that suits your taste.The EV-N Concept is part of a larger display called the “HELLO!” (Honda Electric mobility Loop) display, where Honda will be showcasing a total “ecosystem” of mobility products. If you want an environmentally friendly car, this is it but if you want a 'looker' I think you should pass on this.

Source : Honda

2009 Honda CR-Z at the Tokyo Motor Show

I just realise that I did not include Honda's key exhibits in the upcoming Motor show so I decided to come up with this post. Though we go hoohaa over futuristic & funky concept vehicles, near production concepts garner the most attention as it give us a pretty good idea of what to expect when it hit the showrooms sometime later. The Honda CR-Z is one of them with a grill looking like a nozzle of a portable vacuum cleaner, it is one charming Sports Car. No details of the powertrain is available at press time but I bet Honda will have a 1.5 liter engine pairing up with a motor power the vehicle.



Source : Honda

2010 Honda Step-Wagon

Honda has unveiled the next generation Step Wagon or aptly known as Step WGN to the press in Japan today. The 8-seater mini van has dual sliding doors with three row of seats that can be reconfigured in various ways. As with most 'next generation' vehicles, the new Step WGN's overall length has been increased by 50mm and height by 45mm compared to its predecessor.Under the hood one will find Honda's 2.0 liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine that returns a class leading fuel consumption of 14.2 liter per 100 km traveled. Customers can choose between two transmission to go with the Step WGN with the Front Wheel Drive variants paired up with CVT transmissions while the All Wheel Drive counterpart is fitted with a 5-speed automatic.

Honda engineers designed the Step Wagon's cabin to have a flat low-floor and low centre of gravity. Apart from increased passenger & storage space, the vehicle handles better around the corner ( This is done by having H-shaped torsion beam suspension ). Honda also mention that the short nose you see up front is a result of McPherson struts used. Depending on the trim level the Honda Step wagon comes with active Front lighting System (AFS), a multi-view camera system and a huge glass sky-roof that, at 1,400mm long by 840mm wide to please gadget lovers. Honda is asking for  ¥2,088,000 (€15,897/ US$24,400) including consumption tax as a starting price in Japan.

Source : Honda