Honda Unveils Their Fuel Cell Prototypes



Honda unveiled its fuel cell car at the Tokyo Auto Show first week in October. The FCX-V2 (photo) is equipped with a 60kW Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell stack manufactured by Honda itself, incorporating a Honda-developed methanol fuel processor for extracting hydrogen. The FCX-V1, which has the same exterior, uses hydrogen fuel and is also equipped with 60kW fuel cell stack, but this one manufactured by Ballard Power Systems, Inc., which employs a metal hydride tank (La-Ni5) for hydrogen storage. Both these prototypes feature the Honda EV Plus body and a 49kW permanent magnet AC synchronized motor. Honda has been researching fuel cell vehicles and is planning to make one commercially available by the year 2003.