Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Vehicle Unveiled At Tokyo Motor Show

Japanese carmaker Honda has unveiled its Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show*. The Clarity Fuel Cell is the world's first production model sedan that is powered by a fuel cell that houses the fuel cell and drivetrain where the traditional engine and transmission sits.

The Clarity Fuel Cell sedan will go on sale in Japan in early 2016 and further information regarding the vehicle's launch in Europe will follow the same year.

The packaging of the entire vehicle is based on Honda's philosophy of ‘Man maximum, machine minimum'. The Clarity sedan can accommodate five adults, since the fuel cell stack is the size of a V6 engine.

Despite the fuel cell stack being compact, Honda has ensured good performance. The carmaker has reduced the thickness of each fuel cell by 20 percent, which has resulted in the fuel cells being 33 percent more compact than the cells that were used in the FCX Clarity.

This has helped the car to produce a power output of 174bhp and the car can travel up to 700km with one full tank of hydrogen. Refueling too is quick, which takes just three minutes. This makes it more convenient for customers to use it every day.

The fuel cells, assisted by lithium-ion batteries, deliver instant power to the wheels. The Clarity sedan comes with two driving modes: normal mode, which offers a good balance between mileage and performance, and sport mode, that sharpens throttle response.

To point out some of the features of the Clarity fuel cell sedan, the car comes with LED headlights, 18-inch aluminium wheels, interiors made of premium materials, instant recognition, and intuitive control.

*The Tokyo Motor Show opens to the public from 30 October to 8 November.