Honda debuted the production second generation of its fuel cell vehicle at the Tokyo Motor Show and not surprisingly calls it the Clarity after the original. This sleek hydrogen-powered sedan will go on sale next spring in Japan priced at $63,636. It will also be available on a lease deal with unspecified payments. Honda promises that it will subsequently roll out versions of the Clarity for the U.S. and Europe, but didn’t announce a specific timetable or pricing for those markets.
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More power in a smaller package
As expected, the production version has more conventional styling cues. The most evident are in its revamped front end, greenhouse and body-side contours although a closer look also indicates the addition of traditional door handles and more accommodating rear wheel openings. What hasn’t changed is Honda’s claim this 5-passenger ultra-green cruiser will have a range in excess of 435 miles — roughly 120 miles more than the recently introduced 2016 Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle.
Honda also said the new fuel cell stack was downsized by 33 percent over the previous generation and yet it produces more than 100 kW of power and has output density of 3.1 kW/L; a 60 percent improvement over earlier technology. The powertrain is as compact as a V6 engine allowing all components to be packaged beneath the car’s hood.
Honda also showed off the Power Exporter 9000, an auxiliary unit that allows the Clarity to be used as a power plant on wheels and provide electricity for an average house for up to seven days off one tank of the Clarity’s hydrogen.
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