How It Works
The Honda Clarity is truly unique in it’s approach to a clean burning fuel source. Unlike hybrids available on the market today, such as the Toyota Prius or Honda Civic Hybrid, which still rely somewhat on gasoline, the Clarity utilizes hydrogen to power and move the vehicle. What this means is that the FCX can run with an electric motor while still providing the power and pep of a traditional vehicle. Here’s how the FCX operates:
Battery
Older versions of the Clarity utilized a larger, bulky ultra-capacitor, but the newest versions use a lithium-ion battery, which operates as a supplemental power source when operating the vehicle.
Motor
Replacing the larger, heavier combustion engine used by most cars today, the Clarity FCX instead operates on a small high-output electric motor. Originally developed for Honda’s EV Plus Electric Vehicle, the motor has been specifically designed to take advantage of the power outputted by the car’s fuel cell stack, which will be described in greater detail below. Use of this motor has provided designers with a number of distinct advantages, such as more space available within the vehicle, as well as a much quieter experience when being operated.
V-Flow
Short for "Vertical Flow," the newest fuel cell stack for the Clarity has provided some serious improvements in performance and efficiency for the car. Here’s what Honda’s site has to say about the operation of the fuel cell stack:
"A hydrogen fuel cell produces electricity for the vehicle. The fuel cell combines hydrogen, which is stored in a fuel tank onboard the vehicle, with oxygen from the air to make electricity. The electricity then powers the electric motor, which in turn drives the front wheels. Water vapor and heat are the only byproducts.
A fuel cell is made up of a thin electrolyte film wedged between two electrode layers in between two separators. Several hundred layers of these cells are connected in a series."