Honda Looking to a Sunny, Clean Future - (Global)

The hydrogen fuel cell car as an everyday form of transport is moving closer to Australia, with Honda now operating an experimental ‘Home Energy Station’ that generates hydrogen from natural gas for use in fuel cell vehicles while supplying electricity and hot water to the home.

By developing innovative approaches to sustainable energy, Honda is reducing the environmental impact of the automobile. Part of this innovation involves the production of highly efficient photovoltaic cells.

Honda’s solar subsidiary in Japan, Honda Soltec Co, has been producing photovoltaic solar cells that incorporate copper, indium, gallium and selenium, as opposed to traditional panels produced from silicon.

The thin film solar cells are part of Honda’s plans to power its own fuel cell vehicles – like the FCX Clarity – in a completely carbon free energy system. Honda is developing next-generation refueling stations that would use solar power to produce hydrogen from water for powering its fuel cell vehicles.

While still in its development phase, Honda Australia’s Managing Director, Yasuhide Mizuno is confident the Home Energy Station technology will be seen here in the future.

“Honda has long been conducting research into the development of hydrogen production and supply systems for a hydrogen-based society of the future,” Mr. Mizuno said. “To have the Home Energy Station available locally is a really exciting prospect and would see Honda leading the way and launching emission free cars, like the Honda FCX Clarity, in Australia.”

Honda Soltec Co, a wholly owned subsidiary based in Kumamoto prefecture, southern Japan, started producing solar panels in October 2007.