Honda launches new solar hydrogen electric vehicle station

27 January 2010

Car maker Honda has begun operation of a next generation solar hydrogen station prototype at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas, California, US, intended for use as a home refuelling appliance capable of an overnight refill of fuel cell electric vehicles.

Designed as a single, integrated unit to fit in the user’s garage, Honda’s next generation Solar Hydrogen Station reduces the size of the system, while producing enough hydrogen (0.5kg) via an eight hour overnight fill for daily commuting 10,000 miles per year, for a fuel cell electric vehicle.

Compatible with a smart grid energy system, Honda said the Honda Solar Hydrogen Station enables users to refill their vehicle overnight without the requirement of hydrogen storage and during daytime peak power times, the station can export renewable electricity to the grid.

By creating a new high differential pressure electrolyser, Honda engineers were able to eliminate the compressor entirely, which the company said is a world’s first for a home use system. Honda said the innovation also reduces the size of other key components, while improving system efficiency by more than 25 per cent compared to the solar hydrogen station system it replaces. Its previous solar hydrogen station system required both an electrolyser and a separate compressor unit to create high pressure hydrogen, which was the largest and most expensive component and reduced system efficiency.

Honda said the Honda Solar Hydrogen Station was also designed to complement a public network of fast fill hydrogen stations. The company said the Honda FCX Clarity electric vehicle is fast fill capable and offers an EPA-estimated driving range of 240 miles. Installed at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas, the new station will employ the same 48-panel 6.0KW solar array that powered the previous system, which utilises thin film solar cells composed of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) produced by Honda Soltec, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda that markets solar cells. As with the previous generation system, Honda said the hydrogen purity from the new station meets the highest SAE and ISO specifications.

Honda said a key strategy in creating a solar hydrogen station for home-use was to address the need for refuelling infrastructure that can advance the wider use of fuel cell electric vehicles by consumers. The company predicts that a combination of a fuel cell electric vehicles and the solar hydrogen station could establish a hydrogen society based on renewable energy.

Honda began operation of its first Solar Hydrogen Station at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas in 2001, which was upgraded to include CIGS solar cells in 2003, and produced its first solar array fitted with CIGS cells from Honda Soltec in 2008, before recently releasing its single-unit station.

Honda R&D Americas began research and development operations in the US in 1975 with market research activities in California, and has grown its capabilities over the past 35 years to include all aspects of new vehicle design and development, as well as taking a leading role in the advancement of leading-edge safety and environmental technologies. Today, Honda operates 15 major R&D facilities in the US engaged in the development of automobiles, motorcycles and power equipment products for the US and global markets. Its key Centers are based in Los Angeles, Ohio and North Carolina.

Copyright © 2010 NewNet

Tags: electric vehicle, solar hydrogen, solar hydrogen electric vehicle station

This story was published on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 3:17 pm and is filed under North America, companies, energy efficiency. You can follow any responses to article entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply