feedback was that if you're going to have a sedan, you'd better
have seating for five. That thinking is based on a core belief
that Honda has always had, which is "Man maximum, machine
minimum," meaning that whether you're talking about a car or a
factory layout, you concentrate on improving the conditions of
the users first and foremost.
Shimizu and his team had another challenge in developing
what was to become the 2017 Clarity Fuel Cell. While Honda
executives are convinced of the overall benefit of fuel cells going
forward, they also know that even with things like the Fuel
Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking ( fch.europa.eu ), which
includes a variety of automakers (BMW, Daimler, Hyundai,
Toyota and Honda), as well as energy companies (e.g., Shell
and Total) and gas distribution companies (e.g., Air Liquide
and The Linde Group), even though in the U.S. Honda, Toyota
and Hyundai are investing time and resources (in some cases
serious financial resources) working with governments and
suppliers on creating a U.S. infrastructure, not everyone is (1)
going to have access to hydrogen or (2) want a fuel cell vehicle.
So the Clarity platform was developed not only to accom-
modate a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack (which is
reduced in size by 33 percent compared to the previous gener-
ation), 130-kW (174-hp) AC permanent-magnet synchronous
electric motor and associated electronics (all of which, as well
as a fixed, single-speech, direct drive transmission and a 346-v
lithium-ion battery, make up the powertrain which packages
under the hood essentially in the same space that a Honda
3.5-liter V6 internal combustion engine would require); and
Dimensionally, the Clarity fuel cell powertrain—24.5
inches wide, 27.6 inches high and 34.1 inches long—
is approximately the same size as a Honda V6 engine.
Consequently, the packaging is much the same.
That arc on the lower right side
is actually a vent, or duct, that
creates an air curtain in front
of the rear wheel in order to
enhance vehicle aerodynamics.
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HONDA