Honda begins sales of Clarity FCV in Japan

Honda Motor Co has begun sales in Japan of its all-new fuel cell vehicle (FCV), the Clarity Fuel Cell.

The Clarity Fuel Cell is the world’s first five-passenger sedan-type FCV, achieved by making the fuel cell powertrain more compact using original Honda technologies and fitting it entirely under the hood of the car.

Combined with the improved efficiency of the powertrain and a reduced energy requirement for driving, a 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen storage tank installed to this vehicle provides a cruising range (for reference) of approximately 750km, an increase of approximately 30% compared to the previous FCV model, to achieve the world’s top-class cruising range among all zero emission vehicles.

This increase in cruising range significantly improved the practicality of this FCV model as an everyday car which can accommodate all driving needs from everyday use to a long-distance driving trip. The hydrogen tank can be refilled in approximately three minutes, realising ease of use equivalent to that of a petrol-powered vehicle.

The Clarity Fuel Cell features an exterior design which combines dynamism and elegance as well as a quiet yet powerful and smooth driving feel which can be realised only by an electric vehicle equipped with a high-output motor with maximum output of 130 kW. In addition, in combination with a portable external power output device, the Power Exporter 9000, which also went on sale today, Clarity Fuel Cell can function as a ‘power source on wheels’ that is capable of supplying approximately seven-days’ worth of electricity for an average household.

For the first year of the Clarity Fuel Cell launch in Japan, Honda will focus on lease sales mainly to local government bodies or businesses the company has already been working with to popularize FCVs. During this period, Honda says it will collect information about the in-market use of the Clarity Fuel Cell as well as the external power output device and gather feedback from customers and other relevant organizations, and then later begin sales to individual customers.

The carmaker will begin with small-volume production at the Production Supervisory Unit and Powertrain Production Supervisory Unit (located in Takanezawa-machi, Shioya-gun, Tochigi, Japan), eventually expanding production volume. Honda plans to introduce the Clarity Fuel Cell to Europe and the US before the end of 2016.