Reuters reports Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo as saying that the company is in talks with General Motors (GM) over how to produce and procure parts for hydrogen fuel-cell stacks as part of their technology development agreement. Hachigo was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the Clarity Fuel Cell in Japan.
Significance: Honda is calling its new fuel-cell vehicle the "ultimate environmentally responsible vehicle". The company expects two-thirds of its sales to come from zero-emission vehicles — comprising hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles, and FCVs — by 2030. The Japanese automaker showcased a production version of the all-new Clarity FCV at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show in October last year. Honda said that it would begin small-scale production of the Clarity FCV at its Shioya plant in Tochigi prefecture (Japan). The company plans to launch the Clarity FCV in Europe and the United States before the end of this year. In the global market, the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell will compete against the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai ix35 FCV. However, sales of such vehicles are expected to remain limited in the short term because of the lack of a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
