Honda's New Fuel Cell Car Options

[Hartmann]

http://world.honda.com/news/2008/4080616First-FCX-Clarity/

Surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet.

[impala454]

yeah I just saw the commercial last night. haven't seen where the hydrogen stations in Houston are though...

[Hartmann]

yeah I just saw the commercial last night. haven't seen where the hydrogen stations in Houston are though...

The only stations I know of are in California and Washington D.C.

[impala454]

so it's basically a niche car/marketing scheme

[chook]

so it's basically a niche car/marketing scheme

it could be a mainstream car, just fuel cells use Pt and are uber expensive.

[impala454]

IMHO plugin cars have a much greater chance to be mainstream. Although $600+ electric bills are not something I want to see...

[blaarg]

it could be a mainstream car, just fuel cells use Pt and are uber expensive.

Fuel cells in the present market use platinum electrodes. They are in the process with replacing them with low(er)-cost ceramics though (like Solid Oxide Fuel Cells). The operating temperature is greatly higher, but they are working on reducing that as well.

As for plug in cars, they are all over the place here (Denmark). Certainly nowhere near a majority but there is a national goal to make it that way in the next 15-20 years. What's cool is that the grid that powers the plug-ins at high populated areas are composed entirely of wind energy so its pretty much as green as you can get (rather than powering from something like a coal power plant).

[impala454]

Fuel cells in the present market use platinum electrodes.

pretty sure that's what he meant by Pt

[chook]

Fuel cells in the present market use platinum electrodes. They are in the process with replacing them with low(er)-cost ceramics though (like Solid Oxide Fuel Cells). The operating temperature is greatly higher, but they are working on reducing that as well.

As for plug in cars, they are all over the place here (Denmark). Certainly nowhere near a majority but there is a national goal to make it that way in the next 15-20 years. What's cool is that the grid that powers the plug-ins at high populated areas are composed entirely of wind energy so its pretty much as green as you can get (rather than powering from something like a coal power plant).

What you doing over there?

[Hartmann]

BMW has also released a fuel cell car. Just saw the commercial this evening.

[chook]

Fuel cells in the present market use platinum electrodes. They are in the process with replacing them with low(er)-cost ceramics though (like Solid Oxide Fuel Cells). The operating temperature is greatly higher, but they are working on reducing that as well.

As for plug in cars, they are all over the place here (Denmark). Certainly nowhere near a majority but there is a national goal to make it that way in the next 15-20 years. What's cool is that the grid that powers the plug-ins at high populated areas are composed entirely of wind energy so its pretty much as green as you can get (rather than powering from something like a coal power plant).

The problem with the fuel cells is that CO and CO2 form a poisonious (not reversable) bond with the Noble metals (Pt) and the fuel is really expensive. The higher heat models can use different things than a noble metal to split the hydrogen, becuase of the higher temperature. What is not touted about these things is that most likely byproduct of the cost effective systems is CO2 as well as water.

[Testm0nkey]

Love plug in cars. Just about every car company has plans to release one in 2009-2010. I'm not expecting much from GM with the Volt (horrible business what they did to it in the first place). But there will be many alternatives to choose from. I know quite a few people here in America driving EVs and plug them into their solar panel home grids. 100% free vehicle transportation. In California quite a few Park and Ride bus terminals also have plug-in pitstops (many of them solar). Suupper excited. If i dont buy a EV in 2-3 years I'll purchase the EV conversion kit for the Prius.

No more oil!

[Dogmeat]

I guess for basic transportation needs this is all fine and dandy, but there isn't a battery on the planet that will exist for the next 100 years that would allow to tow an 8,000-lb trailer on a trip of 400 miles

Maybe some day we'll have Fusion Batteries

[Testm0nkey]

how often does the average person need to commute with a 8000lb trailer for 400 miles?

18wheelers SHOULD be a thing of the past. they should be dock to market and we should rely on trains for coast to coast transportation. would save a bunch of money and energy

[Dogmeat]

how often does the average person need to commute with a 8000lb trailer for 400 miles?

18wheelers SHOULD be a thing of the past. they should be dock to market and we should rely on trains for coast to coast transportation. would save a bunch of money and energy

I do it quite a bit

But I'm curious as to why large cargo trucks should be a thing of the past .... really.

[Testm0nkey]

they are inefficient and truckers are already struggling. you want to just kill them off?

hey the best thing for this country is to diversify its energy. no one in their right mind disagrees with that. so not relying on oil so much is a good thing.

[impala454]

18wheelers SHOULD be a thing of the past. they should be dock to market and we should rely on trains for coast to coast transportation. would save a bunch of money and energy

LOLOLOL!

Yeah! let's just run train tracks right up to the grocery store! no need for those nasty smoggy 18 wheelers!! My God Cat I honestly used to think you were a smart person.

[Testm0nkey]

when did i say trains would run right up to the grocery stores?


i said trains coast to coast. and trucks dock to market..


read before acting snippy. when did you become such a stupid person?

[Dogmeat]

they are inefficient and truckers are already struggling. you want to just kill them off?

hey the best thing for this country is to diversify its energy. no one in their right mind disagrees with that. so not relying on oil so much is a good thing.

Ah, I see ... on vehicles where fuel prices have a direct effect on the bottom line, using the most effecient thermodynamic cycle for an internal combustion engine ever developed (positive-displacement diesel cycle), combined with the most advanced engine control-systems ever developed, whose operating characteristics are updated by satellite as the trucks operate in different demographics ... we have a huge inneffeciency problem.



But no I don't want to kill them off, they're a necessity, I was asking why you stated 18 wheelers should be a thing of the past.

[FORSAKENR320]

]

18wheelers SHOULD be a thing of the past.

considering that 18 wheelers are what replaced the failing train system..... yea..... real smart. and you obviously know nothing about trucking.

there is already a coast to cost shipping line viened all over america.... where do these traines end you wonder... why, right at the doorstep of the docking stations... this is called a Distribution center.... and where do the trucks go from there? why, directly to the markets to unload their goods... wait, isn't that what you were just saying SHOULD be done? but huh... seems it's already being done for the last 30 something years.....


my oh my cathryn, you're dumb

[chook]

Love plug in cars. Just about every car company has plans to release one in 2009-2010. I'm not expecting much from GM with the Volt (horrible business what they did to it in the first place). But there will be many alternatives to choose from. I know quite a few people here in America driving EVs and plug them into their solar panel home grids. 100% free vehicle transportation. In California quite a few Park and Ride bus terminals also have plug-in pitstops (many of them solar). Suupper excited. If i dont buy a EV in 2-3 years I'll purchase the EV conversion kit for the Prius.

No more oil!

most people plug in at night cause you can only charge at a certain rate. Luckally, the grid isn't used as much at night. Solar is green only in the southern part of the US, due to the fact of the energy it takes to make the cells and their lifetime.

Go Nuclear!!

[Dogmeat]

we need to put meth addicts to work in hampster wheels

[Jim]

we need to put meth addicts to work in hampster wheels

First thing you've ever said that makes me laugh and that I agree with... ever.

[impala454]

when did i say trains would run right up to the grocery stores?
i said trains coast to coast. and trucks dock to market..
read before acting snippy. when did you become such a stupid person?

oh ok I screwed up. I still don't get how trucks should be "a thing of the past" and yet you include them in your "plan". you have a very wrong view of how this stuff works chica. go calculate tons per mile per gallon and find out just how much better these trucks are than your precious prius.