Honda didn't continue on its only hydrogen-powered car in the US, the Clarity, but it seems that the automaker will revive a part of it soon, as reported by TechCrunch.
Honda will put some old Clarity fuel cells back to work and combine them into a backup power system for its Los Angeles data center. For now, things are still in the conceptual stage but the company plans to commercialize the tech and sees potential applications beyond helping data centers to keep the lights on.
The used fuel cell systems in their backup-power demo once powered leases Clarities but the retired these for transport. Still, they still work well enough to drive its server farm in case of a power failure. Honda relied on diesel for backup power at the facility.
Environmental Effects
Using its old fuel cells is a smart move, but it won' be environmentally friendly. That's why Honda reassured that they will not use green hydrogen in the pilot exclusively, which means at least some of it was generated via fossil fuels.
The problem with using hydrogen to generate electricity is the fuel cells only spits out water and heat as exhaust but still indirectly pollutive if the hydrogen comes from dirty sources, and most hydrogen fuel does.
To correct this, it will need more green hydrogen production on top of the necessary infrastructure to deliver hydrogen. This is also the reason some automakers don't believe in the future of hydrogen-powered vehicles because for them, it's a lot of work.
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Honda's Belief in Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles
Still, Honda believes in hydrogen-powered vehicles. Their next-gen fuel cell systems will power its upcoming hydrogen-powered vehicle, which is based on the Honda CR-V and is due in 2024.
They are also planning to use the new fuel cell systems for backup power as it scales the tech. The company also intends to use green hydrogen when it commercializes the backup-power unites exclusively.
Honda is also considering other applications, such as peak shaving. This means the company thinks industrial customers could use their generators at peak times when electricity is on high demand. They aim to develop the concept into a new business model.
Hydrogen-Powered CR-V
Honda has provided some more information about the hydrogen-powered CR-V that will be built at their Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. First, it would feature a lithium-ion battery pack that can be plugged in and charged. The vehicle would run on pure electricity for a specific number of miles before the battery pack is depleted.
However, Honda said that the fuel cell battery pack will have a power export function that will let you provide power to external items. The company remains mum on details on the amount of power the vehicle would be capable of.
The vehicle's new generation fuel cell stack was developed with HM as well. It will go on sale in 2024.
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