[NintendoKD]

Ok, folks, it has been out since 05' I know because I saw the tv ad in 05. Explain this one:
http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/
water powered EV, why can't I buy one? Why isn't this on the news?

[EVEngineeer]

That looks like a great car. I saw it said you can only lease it for 3 years and you have to live in california and it costs $600 a month and they are leasing only 200 of them. I hope buy the time they start actually selling them in Florida, they will cost less. Many luxury cars like lexus don't get that much money for a lease, so even though it is honda, it better be a luxury car

[SandRailEV]

Looks to me like it's Hydrogen powered, not water powered...

[major]

Originally Posted by NintendoKD

....water powered EV,...

It's a Hydrogen fuel cell car, not water powered

[EVEngineeer]

it is Hydrogen, but the Hydrogen comes from water. of course you can't run it on water, but usually Hydrogen powered stuff gets the fuel from water and removes the Hydrogen from it. Then it emits oxygen, which actually helps the environment, unlike the gas cars that emit CO2.

[bjfreeman]

Yup just like current cars are powered by Crude oil

[frodus]

And another thing to add, most production (~95%) of Hydrogen is usually from reforming fossil fuels, and not electrolysis. Reforming still produces CO2 as a byproduct even though the fuel cell does not. A lot of the production uses Methane, Propane, Ethanol and Gasoline.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_economy

Still uses fossil fuels and still releases CO2 (although in lower amounts).

[SandRailEV]

Originally Posted by EVEngineeer

it is Hydrogen, but the Hydrogen comes from water. of course you can't run it on water, but usually Hydrogen powered stuff gets the fuel from water and removes the Hydrogen from it. Then it emits oxygen, which actually helps the environment, unlike the gas cars that emit CO2.

And where exactly does the ENERGY to separate Hydrogen from water come from??

[jeremyjs]

Not to mention that by the time you produce, compress, transport, and run it through a fuel cell you've wasted 3/4 or more of the energy used to produce it and you have to haul around a 10,000 psi pressure vessel inside your car. Not to mention needing all new infrastructure to make it viable. I'd rather stick electricity in batteries myself.

[bjfreeman]

the Hydrogen used for PEM cells in Home power plants, do use reforming, of natural gas.
The Hydogen for supplying autos, in Calif, and west coast is done by electrolysis and stored locally to the generation point.
the Further north you go on the West coast the more Hydro power, and now Wind power is used for the electrolysis.

The Biggest electrolysis Hydrogen plants are in BC. The supply the Fuel cell Bus Fleet.