Hydrogen Technology In Reach

While it has been hyped much more as the "fuel for the future", hydrogen has a much longer road to get down before it becomes a viable option for fueling our passion for travel and our need for transportation. Honda has been on the forefront of the hydrogen wave, the only manufacturer currently testing a rear world hydrogen car, the FCX. The FCX is a small, urban car similar in size to the new Honda Fit. But unlike the Fit, the only thing spewing out of the FCX's tailpipe is pure water. Hydrogen power actually works very simply. After taking water from nature and running an electrical current through it, you are left with hydrogen and oxygen. At the pump, you will fill your take full of this hydrogen. When you leave the filling station, the hydrogen in the tank makes electricity through a couple different chemical processes which is then stored in conventional batteries or, as in the Honda FCX, a stack of ultracapacitors, which are much longer lasting. This stores the electricity until it is needed upon acceleration. While the process may seem complicated, it produces a driving experience so smooth and normal (if you ignore the silence) that it could be on the market today if the infrastructure was available. Many see hydrogen as the best option for eliminating our dependence on foreign oil. Unfortunately, many experts don't see a hydrogen economy becoming a reality for another few decades. Until then, I will have a blast riding on the fossils fuels still available. If you want to see the Honda FCX fuel cell vehicle in action, click here. Also, check out this Honda brochure which explains the hydrogen power process as well as fueling and more.

Ben