Honda will put the FCX sedan into limited production next year. Honda says the FCX meets U.S. safety standards and have the same features as gasoline models.
"The consumer focus is where we need to put more attention," says Steve Ellis, Honda fuel-cell marketing manager. "We started with fleets, added a few consumers, now we're going to swing the pendulum."
The FCX should get the gasoline equivalent of 68 miles per gallon in the federal city-highway combined-driving cycle. Hydrogen with the same amount of energy as a gallon of gasoline sells for $3 to $6. Fuel-cell cars like the FCX are much more efficient so the cost per mile is much less than with gasoline. Honda claims a top speed of 100 miles per hour for the FCX sedan.
However in the 2008 Honda FCX, it will have a revised and smaller fuel cell stack. Instead of taking up almost the entire floor space of the vehicle, it is mounted along the center tunnel, under the armrest between the driver and passenger.