Honda is planning to release a hydrogen-powered car in March 2016 that, in an emergency, could even power your house. The clean-energy car called the FCV, which emits only water as a waste product, will have a range of 300 miles (480km) and seating for up to five people . But problems with hydrogen fuel, such as a lack of infrastructure to support a nationwide fleet of cars, will need to be solved before the technology is adopted. Scroll down for video . Japanese company Honda has unveiled its new FCV concept car (artist's illustration shown). The vehicle runs solely on hydrogen fuel and will be released in March 2016. Hydrogen fuel is desirable because it only emits water and heat. The zero-emission fuel is heralded as a replacement for petrol one day . Hydrogen fuel has been heralded as the future of automobiles, and possibly leading to a ‘hydrogen economy’ where many things run on the element, as it is a zero-emission fuel. Cars employing the fuel use electrochemical cells or combustion to turn it into heat, with the only by-product being water. A report by Autocar has suggested that BMW is looking to develop its own hydrogen vehicle. Rumoured to be called the i5, the vehicle would compliment the existing electric i3 and hybrid i8 in the i-brand series. Aside from Honda, the i5 would compete with other hydrogen cars from Toyota and Hyundai. And there are also rumours that Audi and Mercedes could be release hydrogen cars of their own in the not too distant future, possibly by 2017. Many car manufacturers have been toying with the idea of hydrogen cars including Toyota and BMW. And now Honda’s latest effort, the successor to their FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel car, will soon be on its way. There is no news yet on the price of the car or what its top speed will be, but the release date of March 2016 in Japan is known. Honda says a release in the US and Europe will then follow. The car has a power output of more than 100kW and an increased ‘power density’ of 60 per cent over its predecessor. This gives the car its impressive range of 300 miles (480km). The FCV also apparently has an external power feeder than, during an emergency, could be used to power an entire home. The clean-energy car called the FCV (illustration shown), which emits only water as a waste product, will have a range of 300 miles (480km) and seating for ‘up to five’ people . Coconuts could play a key role in making non-polluting cars that only emit water a reality. For years, scientists have been working out how to develop fuel cell cars powered by pure hydrogen, but are unsure how to store the substance effectively. Now, they may be close to solving this problem using the unlikely candidate. Researchers from India’s Benaras Hindu University used coconut kernels to store hydrogen in gas form. Professor Viney Dixit and his team, at the university’s Hydrogen Energy Centre created carbon from coconut kernels, which contain fatty and organic acids as well as potassium, magnesium and sodium. He says that the kernels, which are easily found, are cheap and can easily be converted into carbon. And the researchers found that the carbon produced from the kernels could store a ‘considerable’ amount of hydrogen. Honda's newly announced FCV Concept vehicle will be the successor to the FCX Calrity, seen here being refuelled at the UK's first open access hydrogen vehicle refuelling station in Swindon in 2011 . The vehicle can be refuelled in just three to five minutes, although the specialist hydrogen-fuel is not widely available at stations yet. Hydrogen itself is also a bit of a problem. Although it is widely billed as a potential replacement for petrol, pure hydrogen does not occur naturally on Earth. This means it needs to be made via other means, such as using methane, but the process is complicated. And attempts to replicate the process using renewable sources have proven to be expensive. Nonetheless, car manufacturers are banking on hydrogen ultimately becoming a major source of fuel in the future, and Honda especially is keen to stay at the front of the game. ‘Honda has led the industry for nearly two decades in the development and deployment of fuel-cell technology through extensive real-world testing, including the first government fleet deployment and retail customer leasing program,’ the company said in a statement. ‘Since the introduction of its first generation fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX, in 2002, Honda has made significant technological advancements in fuel-cell vehicle operation in both hot and sub-freezing weather while meeting customer expectations and safety regulations.’
Japanese company Honda has unveiled its new FCV concept car .
The car runs solely on hydrogen fuel and will be released in March 2016 .
Hydrogen fuel is desirable because it only emits water and heat .
The zero-emission fuel is heralded as a replacement for petrol one day .
But producing pure hydrogen is difficult and expensive for now .
Car makers though are banking on hydrogen fuel being the next big thing .
Honda, Audi, Toyota, Hyundai and BMW are all working on hydrogen cars .
Honda is planning to release a hydrogen-powered car in March 2016 that, in an emergency, could even power your house. The clean-energy car called the FCV, which emits only water as a waste product, will have a range of 300 miles (480km) and seating for up to five people . But problems with hydrogen fuel, such as a lack of infrastructure to support a nationwide fleet of cars, will need to be solved before the technology is adopted. Scroll down for video . Japanese company Honda has unveiled its new FCV concept car (artist's illustration shown). The vehicle runs solely on hydrogen fuel and will be released in March 2016. Hydrogen fuel is desirable because it only emits water and heat. The zero-emission fuel is heralded as a replacement for petrol one day . Hydrogen fuel has been heralded as the future of automobiles, and possibly leading to a ‘hydrogen economy’ where many things run on the element, as it is a zero-emission fuel. Cars employing the fuel use electrochemical cells or combustion to turn it into heat, with the only by-product being water. A report by Autocar has suggested that BMW is looking to develop its own hydrogen vehicle. Rumoured to be called the i5, the vehicle would compliment the existing electric i3 and hybrid i8 in the i-brand series. Aside from Honda, the i5 would compete with other hydrogen cars from Toyota and Hyundai. And there are also rumours that Audi and Mercedes could be release hydrogen cars of their own in the not too distant future, possibly by 2017. Many car manufacturers have been toying with the idea of hydrogen cars including Toyota and BMW. And now Honda’s latest effort, the successor to their FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel car, will soon be on its way. There is no news yet on the price of the car or what its top speed will be, but the release date of March 2016 in Japan is known. Honda says a release in the US and Europe will then follow. The car has a power output of more than 100kW and an increased ‘power density’ of 60 per cent over its predecessor. This gives the car its impressive range of 300 miles (480km). The FCV also apparently has an external power feeder than, during an emergency, could be used to power an entire home. The clean-energy car called the FCV (illustration shown), which emits only water as a waste product, will have a range of 300 miles (480km) and seating for ‘up to five’ people . Coconuts could play a key role in making non-polluting cars that only emit water a reality. For years, scientists have been working out how to develop fuel cell cars powered by pure hydrogen, but are unsure how to store the substance effectively. Now, they may be close to solving this problem using the unlikely candidate. Researchers from India’s Benaras Hindu University used coconut kernels to store hydrogen in gas form. Professor Viney Dixit and his team, at the university’s Hydrogen Energy Centre created carbon from coconut kernels, which contain fatty and organic acids as well as potassium, magnesium and sodium. He says that the kernels, which are easily found, are cheap and can easily be converted into carbon. And the researchers found that the carbon produced from the kernels could store a ‘considerable’ amount of hydrogen. Honda's newly announced FCV Concept vehicle will be the successor to the FCX Calrity, seen here being refuelled at the UK's first open access hydrogen vehicle refuelling station in Swindon in 2011 . The vehicle can be refuelled in just three to five minutes, although the specialist hydrogen-fuel is not widely available at stations yet. Hydrogen itself is also a bit of a problem. Although it is widely billed as a potential replacement for petrol, pure hydrogen does not occur naturally on Earth. This means it needs to be made via other means, such as using methane, but the process is complicated. And attempts to replicate the process using renewable sources have proven to be expensive. Nonetheless, car manufacturers are banking on hydrogen ultimately becoming a major source of fuel in the future, and Honda especially is keen to stay at the front of the game. ‘Honda has led the industry for nearly two decades in the development and deployment of fuel-cell technology through extensive real-world testing, including the first government fleet deployment and retail customer leasing program,’ the company said in a statement. ‘Since the introduction of its first generation fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX, in 2002, Honda has made significant technological advancements in fuel-cell vehicle operation in both hot and sub-freezing weather while meeting customer expectations and safety regulations.’
Japanese company Honda has unveiled its new FCV vehicle runs solely on hydrogen fuel and will be released in March 2016. Hydrogen fuel is desirable because it only emits water and heat. The zero-emission fuel is heralded as a replacement for petrol one day . Hydrogen fuel potential replacement for petrol, pure hydrogen car manufacturers are banking on hydrogen