The FCX Clarity is a four-seater car which runs on electricity generated by combining hydrogen and oxygen. It emits steam and gets 3x better fuel-efficiency than gas-powered automobiles.
While these cars sound more environmentally-friendly, critics note that hydrogen is expensive to produce and the most common production method is from fossil fuels. One of the impedances of these cars is a lack of hydrogen fueling stations; California is where the first will be released because of the proximity of such stations.
The BBC has a fantastic explanation of how the engine works, replete with a handy-dandy graphic. The cars will lease for about $600/month and will soon be available in Japan; none will be available for sale.
While this is a great step forward, the larger innovation is that these were created on the first assembly line dedicated to hydrogen-fueled vehicles!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
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