American Honda Motor Co., Inc. announced last week the installation of a new fuel cell system on its Torrance, Calif. campus. The fuel cell will produce one megawatt of energy, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions from Honda’s operations in the region. “A stationary fuel cell system is a natural next step in our ongoing efforts
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Studies have said it takes more energy to produce hydrogen than it yields, and costs of its in-car storage and lack of infrastructure are major hurdles also seemingly brushed aside by some automakers, but not Volkswagen. Yesterday Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn told Automotive News that plug-in hybrids and natural gas engines have a much
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Despite its investment in hybrids, electric cars, fuel cell vehicles and the compressed natural gas Civic GX, Honda has earned a reputation for a string of green car missteps. The Accord Hybrid flopped; the redesigned Honda Insight didn’t go mainstream; and the Honda CR-Z coupe’s sporty-efficient combination was panned by auto critics. Yet, the company
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Carmakers promise 2015 as the magic year for mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell cars. There was a time not long ago when hybrids, electric cars, and fuel cell cars were all viewed as futuristic science projects. Times have changed. Hybrids started to hit the road a decade ago and are now moving into the mainstream. Just
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Toyota, Honda and Nissan are planning to introduce a staggering number of hybrids and electric cars in the next three to five years. The specific product introductions are documented in the latest issue of Automotive News, which features a special report on future products from the Japanese brands. Of course, these plans are not set
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John Mendel, Honda’s executive vice president, yesterday called for policy makers to refrain from promoting “the virtues of one technology and demonizing another.” Speaking at the Moving Ahead 2010 conference at Ohio State University, Mendel suggested that government agencies are “laying all their chips on the technology du jour.” Without explicitly pointing fingers at EVs,
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John Mendel, Honda’s executive vice president, yesterday called for policy makers to refrain from promoting “the virtues of one technology and demonizing another.” Speaking at the Moving Ahead 2010 conference at Ohio State University, Mendel suggested that government agencies are “laying all their chips on the technology du jour.” Without explicitly pointing fingers at EVs,
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As the Bard might have put it, “That which we call an all-electric emissions-free vehicle, by any other name would drive as sweet.” To gain mainstream acceptance by mainstream car buyers, electric cars will face all kinds of real economic and technical challenges—such as limited driving range, hefty price premiums, and lack of charging stations.
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The auto industry’s race for cars that use less petroleum and spew fewer emissions has multiple technology pathways. Major global automakers are now aligning into one of two camps. The “Either/Or” carmakers choose one technology and run with it, while the “Portfolio” guys market multiple technologies all at once. Mercedes-Benz is the most vocal of
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Wishing upon a star or throwing a coin in a well might make dreams come true, but when it comes to fuel cell vehicles, auto industry executives are hoping that chanting in unison will turn hopes into reality. The mantra from execs: “Fuel cell cars for sale by 2015.” In the past few weeks, Ford,
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