Honda Unveils Solar-Powered Hydrogen Generating Fuel Station

In brief: Honda has what might be the most advanced hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle program of all the carmakers today and now they've unveiled one of the many ways these cars could be fueled.

Vehicle in the news

Make/Model: Solar Hydrogen Station
Manufacturer: Honda

The word

Honda has been experimenting with several ways to quickly build or integrate a hydrogen infrastructure to go with their innovative FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell car.

One of those ideas is the latest-generation of their Solar Hydrogen Station (SHS) concept. The company began working on the concept in 2001 in Torrance, California.

The idea is fairly simple. Using municipal water, the station uses solar power to generate electricity which it then uses to split the water through electrolysis, giving off oxygen and hydrogen.

The hydrogen, being lighter, is siphoned off and compressed for use as fuel in a HFCV.

This smaller station is the latest iteration of the concept, capable of producing about half a kilogram of hydrogen in 8 hours of sunlight. That would power the current FCX Clarity for 30-35 miles - the average commute. More hydrogen can be made using grid power, of course, and when the facility is at maximum, any extra power made can be returned to the grid as well.

And so ...

Very cool little concept which goes along with Honda's Hydrogen Home concept, where the same basic setup is used as part of a system in a person's home and garage.

Photo credits: Honda