Honda CR-Z concept. Click image to enlarge |
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Honda CR-Z concept
Detroit, Michigan - Honda unveiled two futuristic green vehicles today, the CR-Z hybrid, "a lightweight sports gasoline-electric hybrid concept vehicle", and the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle which offers a more powerful fuel cell.
Honda CR-Z
Making its North American debut, the Honda CR-Z (which stands for "Compact Renaissance Zero" - an expression intended to capture the idea of a renaissance in the design of compact cars) is a next-generation lightweight sports car concept equipped with Honda's gas-electric hybrid system. The lightweight hybrid sports car features advanced technologies that deliver driving performance while reducing the vehicle's environmental footprint, says the company.
For its frontal view, an over-sized grille with a high-performance look is offset by openings on each side that lighten the overall feel. In the rear, are tube-shaped rear combination lights. Design details include stylish door mirrors, LED headlights, jaunty fin-shaped sub-lights, and large 19-inch wheels.
The CR-Z concept vehicle made its world debut at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show in November and indicates the styling direction for a second, new hybrid vehicle to be introduced by Honda. The other future hybrid vehicle, designed to meet the needs of a family and priced below the Civic
Hybrid, is planned for introduction in 2009.
Honda FCX Clarity
The FCX Clarity is a next-generation, zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle based on the entirely-new Honda V Flow fuel cell platform powered by a highly compact, efficient and powerful Honda V Flow fuel cell stack. The FCX Clarity offers significant improvements to driving range, power, weight and efficiency.
Its new V Flow platform packages the ultra-compact Honda V Flow fuel cell stack in the vehicle's centre tunnel, between the two front seats. Taking advantage of an all-new cell configuration, the vertically-oriented stack achieves an output of 100 kilowatts (kW) - versus 86 kW in the current Honda FC stack - with a 50 per cent increase in output density by volume (67 per cent by mass).
The FCX Clarity will be leased to a limited number of retail consumers in Southern California with the first deliveries taking place in summer 2008. While there are no immediate plans for the FCX Clarity to be offered in Canada, there are efforts underway to showcase it to Canadians as soon as possible.
