Honda's next-gen Fuel Cell Vehicle Concept gets closer to reality

Set to debut in 2016, the FCV Concept has more space and a 300-mile range

Published: November 17, 2014 08:45 PM

Honda has released new images of its coming fuel-cell concept vehicle from Japan. Dubbed creatively the FCV Concept, we last saw a version at the Los Angeles auto show last year, at the time called the FCEV.

Now Honda has hollowed out the rear-wheel skirts to allow stranded drivers to actually change the rear tires, pared down the side scoops, and enlarged the windows. All that makes the FCV concept look more like a production car. That's natural, since Honda is planning to roll it out as a replacement for the FCX Clarity sometime in 2016. (The company says March 2016 in Japan, followed by the United States and Europe.) That's more than a year after Toyota's new Mirai fuel-cell car is supposed to go on sale, and nearly two full years after the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell went on sale in California.

Honda says the new car will have more interior space than the FCX Clarity, because the fuel-cell stack is now completely under the hood up front rather than between the seats. The company says the new stack is one-third smaller than the old stack and now puts out more than 133 hp. A 10,000-psi hydrogen-storage tank takes up less space in the trunk than the old 5,000-psi tank, yet can be refilled in 3 to 5 minutes, giving the new FCV more than 300 miles of range.

In our experience, fuel-cell cars are as seamless and quiet as electric cars to drive, but without the range limitations. However, their use is dependent on easy access to refueling, and for now, that remains a challenge in most of the country.

—Eric Evarts

Check out our guide to alternative-fuel vehicles. And find an alternative-fuel source in your area.