We haven’t heard much about the fuel-cell Honda FCX Clarity since its launch in 2008, despite it being a very important car for the future of motoring, in terms of concept and the way it produces power.
However, in a recent organized drive which was attended by Autonews, one problem became very obvious – there are nowhere near enough hydrogen filling stations in the U.S. in order to make driving such vehicles at least marginally more practical than a battery powered EV, or any other vehicle, for that matter.
Apparently there are only 10 such refilling points in the country, 9 of which are located in California, so there is quite a discrepancy whichever way you approach it…
The aforementioned drive took place in Washington DC, and while the car’s sat-nav did show a station within city limits, that was no longer operational, and the navigation software hadn’t been updated. The next one listed was 2,400 miles (3,840 km) away, in Las Vegas, Nevada, but that one reportedly had been out of service since July of 2010.
Honda is currently leasing the Clarity in California, and they plan to replace it with a new model in 2015, as it is expected that by that time other manufacturers will have released their own offerings.
By Andrei Nedelea
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