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What's Under the Hood
The fuel cell of the FCX is small enough to fit in between the driver and passenger seats. This new fuel cell stack is 20 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than the current FCX stack, yet its power output is 14kW greater. Overall, the power plant is about 180kg lighter than that of the current FCX and about 40 percent smaller in volume. The result is improved energy efficiency and performance along with a more spacious interior. As an auxiliary power source, the FCX Concept carries a compact, high-efficiency lithium ion battery, helping with increased power output and vehicle range. The vehicle is also highly energy efficient at around 60 percent -- approximately three times that of a gasoline-engine vehicle, twice that of a hybrid vehicle, and 10 percent better than the current FCX.
What it Drives Like
We drove the Honda FCX on a shortened course at Laguna Seca and found it to be quite an admirable ride. Sure, the concept handled a bit like a Honda Odyssey in the turns and sounded like a pack of angry bees, but that’s a good thing – there are sedans out there that would fail to match up with the Odyssey. It’s especially impressive given the weight on board (around 3,500 pounds) and the dimensions of the FCX, weight that while nicely centered was still felt in the vehicle’s performance. A specially-designed double-wishbone suspension handled the track pretty well, with a hint of floatiness and fade.
Indeed, the very idea that a hydrogen car could get around a racetrack in nimble fashion is stunning, and save for a turn or two, the FCX was exactly that – a bit boatish but nimble nonetheless, with brakes that were heavy and spongy but good enough to use at a decent speed. On the straights, the FCX took some time getting up to speed, but its 127 horsepower/189 lb.-ft. of torque plant did get there. It fairly jumped up and started running on the initial throttle command, getting up to 40 mph or so in short order. After that, you can feel the powertrain bog down slightly, and getting over 80 mph – while easily doable – is a bit laborious.
Finding speed may take a bit of patience, but the Honda FCX Concept gets there much faster than in the latest FCX model. That vehicle, which is almost 500 pounds heavier and with the fuel cell placed horizontally under the passengers, drives like a top-heavy SUV. And while it also made it around the track, it did so gingerly, with not near the slash and spirit of the FCX Concept. All in all, the FCX is very, very, close to what the cars of today are like. Now, about that refueling issue...
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