Featured Honda Clarity Fuel Cell (Alex on Auto)

I guess you missed it but he covered the high costs (he had to pay for the fuel himself) and relative inefficiency of the FC quite well for a general audience. He's a BEV owner and "gets it".

With a couple of very limiting qualifiers, California residents only and live near a station, it sounds like a great commuter option: HOV access, very low (subsidized) lease rate, free (subsidized) fuel, free rentals for trips, roomy, and very few design compromises.

Alex gets it that the FCV is an easier transition for the masses than other options as nothing really changes in their daily lives. The Gen 2 Clarity is much better than the Gen 1 Mirai. I say give these some more time (I know, I know) especially on the H2 fuel supply part of the equation. I wonder if a plug-in FCV with a much larger, skateboard design battery for more EV daily driving and the FC as more of a REX is the way to go? Way too expensive right now but.....

 

Issue for FCEVs is the current choice of fuel. Move from hydrogen to some type of liquid, and a fuel cell might be a viable replacement for the ICE in a PHEV. Even if costs were reduced, hydrogen tanks would eat up a lot of space in a PHEV.