New Honda Fuel-Cell Vehicle Goes Farther with More Power

August 4, 2004

The 2005 model year for new vehicles is rapidly approaching—bringing with it the promise of improved versions of classic models—and Honda's latest fuel-cell vehicle, the 2005 Honda FCX, delivers on that promise. According to American Honda Motor Company, Inc., the new Honda FCX features a fuel cell stack that produces 33 percent more power than the 2004 model—107 horsepower versus 80 horsepower—while delivering a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's combined city and highway mileage for the 2005 Honda FCX is 57 miles per kilogram of hydrogen, which is roughly equivalent in energy use to a fuel economy of 57 miles per gallon of gasoline. That gives the vehicle a range of 190 miles per fill-up.

The new Honda FCX is the first to use a fuel-cell stack designed and manufactured by Honda. Honda claims the new fuel cell will start at temperatures as low as 4 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, and intends to prove it by leasing a vehicle to a customer in New England later this year. See the Honda press release.