The Japanese automaker said it has recalled 268,000 2002-2006 CR-V vehicles in the US to replace power window master switches.Photo: Reuters
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The Japanese automaker said it has recalled 268,000 2002-2006 CR-V vehicles in the US to replace power window master switches.Photo: Reuters
Honda is expanding the use of hydrogen not only for cars on the road, but also for trucks, construction equipment, building power, and even outer space.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. plans to sell a new fuel cell vehicle next year equipped with a fuel cell stack developed with General Motors of the United States.
He said this would bring the cost of fuel cell stacks down to a third of what it is today. By 2030, Honda’s fuel cells will cost on par with his diesel engines, Hasebe said.
The new fuel cell stack, which charges faster than previous versions, will be produced in Ohio before being rolled out to other North American and Japanese locations, said Arata Ichinose, the company’s executive officer.
Automakers all over the world, including start-ups like Tesla, are developing electric vehicles, vehicles powered by fuel cell and hybrid systems that alternate between gas engines and green technology.
Fuel cells are powered by hydrogen and have no emissions.
Hasebe, who oversees the development of the hydrogen business at Honda, said:
Honda was one of the pioneers of fuel cells, introducing a prototype in 1998 and the first market product in 2002.
Honda plans to provide the fuel stacks to JAXA, the country’s equivalent of NASA, or the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. On using hydrogen in commercial trucks, Honda is working with Japanese truck maker Isuzu Motors and has started testing with China’s Dongfeng Motor. Honda’s fuel cells began powering Honda’s U.S. bases this month.
Honda’s fuel cell announcement underscores the Japanese automaker’s years-long insistence on tackling a range of solutions to climate change, not just electric vehicles.
