2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Travels 589km Per Refill

Hydrogen fuel has a promising future in the world automobiles. Automakers across the globe are working on prototypes to get the recipe just right for hydrogen-fuel–based cars to fit into our daily lifestyles – something that the plug-in electric cars have failed to do so far. Honda FCX Clarity was one of the first cars to boast a hydrogen-powered electric motor. While it was only available on lease in California, USA, it showed the world that hydrogen fuel is another way towards zero harmful emissions from cars.

In 2015, Honda showcased the 2017 model of the Clarity and it is slated to go on sale by the end of 2016 in California only. The standout statistic of the new-gen Clarity is that it can run for 589km between refills. This number is especially staggering because Honda has managed to create a fuel-cell that is 33 per cent smaller than the one in its predecessor, but offers a 60 per cent increase in power density. This set-up helps the Clarity to outclass the fuel-economy figures of the Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell and Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell, which can travel for 502km and 426km between fuel stops, respectively.

Honda will initially sell the Clarity Fuel Cell through 12 dealerships in the American state – six in northern California and the remainder in Los Angeles and Orange County. The Japanese carmaker says that the vehicle will be available to customers who live or work within 16km of a hydrogen fueling station. Both Toyota and Honda have invested money to get the count of hydrogen fuel stations across the state up to 20. Although the official price of the car hasn’t been released, Honda says it should wear a price tag of around US $60,000 (approximately Rs 40 lakh) with a monthly lease price of under US $500 (approximately Rs 33,000).