We often see Honda's name in environmental headlines these days. Wednesday, for instance, the Japanese manufacturer announced that it has begun using the Home Energy Station IV at its Honda R&D Americas, Inc. facility in Torrance, California. This experimental unit allows Honda to provide fuel for its hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles, such as the all-new FCX Clarity.
Honda's Home Energy Station technology is designed to facilitate the broader adoption of zero-emission fuel cell vehicles by developing a home refueling solution that makes efficient use of a home's existing natural gas supply for production of hydrogen, while providing heat and electricity to an average-size home. Compared to the average North American consumer's home with grid-supplied electricity and a gasoline-powered car, a home using Home Energy Station IV to help produce heat and electricity and also to refuel an FCX Clarity could reduce CO
2 emissions by an estimated 30 percent and energy costs by an estimated 50 percent.Working with technology partner Plug Power, Inc. to develop the Home Energy Station, Honda says that the fourth generation is 70-percent smaller than the original, making it even more suitable for household installation.
photo: Honda