Honda FCX Arrives In Britain

The use of batteries alone to power cars is clearly a bit nutty. Poor performance, a short operating range and long recharge times make their practicality limited.

Setting aside for a moment the even nuttier "reduced carbon footprint" excuse for powering cars, taxis and buses with electricity, there is one clear benefit - clean air. Just imagine how much more pleasant London or any of our major cities would be without the diesel fumes from the taxis and buses.

Some people have been imagining exactly that, as London recently unveiled its first pair of hydrogen fuel cell powered taxis, soon to be followed by five hydrogen fuel celled buses.

Not wanting to miss the bus, so to speak, Honda has decided to bring its FCX Clarity car to the UK.

Powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, this is the first such car to have been designed and built from scratch. It is filled at a filling station just like a conventional car. The only waste product of this process is water.

The Clarity has a top speed of 100mph and a range of 270 miles.