2007 HONDA FCX Clarity V Flow fuel cell stack (136 HP)

Vehicle Overview

It was the first production model of a hydrogen-fueled car. Its look was different than most of the cars on the road, but not as outrageous as it was the Prius when it was premiered.

The idea of a zero-emission vehicle was not new in 2007, but Honda managed to build 200 vehicles and handed them over to specific customers in California. Unlike most of the cars on the road, it was powered by an electric motor, and the energy was produced by a hydrogen fuel-cell. It was a complex study in the real world, with real traffic and no special drivers.

The FCX Clarity look was aerodynamically shaped with a lowered hood, very raked A-pillars, and a cabin that was ended into a sloped tailgate. It had the profile of an airplane wing, angled downwards.

The interior featured four seats and eco-friendly materials. The fabrics were made out of corn and the rear parcel was made out of real wood. The big dashboard featured a TFT instrument cluster with specific instruments: fuel-gauge for hydrogen, lights for efficiency driving modes, and a few other lights. The car was available as lease-only, for USD 600/month.

A big hydrogen tank was placed in the back and it fed a fuel-cell mounted between the front seats. There, the hydrogen produced electricity to feed the 136 hp electric motor. The result process result was water. During engine-braking, the resulted energy was stored into a lithium-ion battery. The only downwards, apart from the price, was that there were only a few hydrogen stations. But Honda showed the world that hydrogen-powered vehicles were no longer a Sci-Fi story and the driver behind the wheel was not Batman or Ironman. It was just a regular Jamie. Jamie Lee Curtis drove one.