Hydrogen-powered Honda FCX Clarity, giant ASIMO to lead Rose Parade

For the first time ever (yes, ever!), this year's Rose Parade in Pasadena, California will be headed up by a hydrogen-powered vehicle. Honda's fuel cell-equipped FCX Clarity will lead the 120th parade, and the pace car will be followed by the Super Cub motorcycle -- the first model sold in the United States. As fancy as these two are, it's the ASIMO that'll undoubtedly steal the show, and yes, we're talking about the 49-foot iteration we spotted a few days back. Catch Honda's trio riding high on January 1 at 8:00AM PST; after that, it's time to place your bets between USC and Penn State.

[BobTurbo @ Dec 24th 2008 2:24AM]

I swear Japan are secretly building giant robots to take over the world.

[engadget.mlc @ Dec 24th 2008 4:39AM]

What makes you think that it's a secret?

[ark_v2 @ Dec 24th 2008 12:31PM]

Just take a look at HAL5; helping the elderly is way too good.

[LongshotX @ Dec 24th 2008 5:27PM]

Don't worry we got a couple more bombs with their name on it just in case they decide to act up.

[pathogen @ Dec 24th 2008 2:28AM]

Good thing our new owners are entertaining us.

[T Hom @ Dec 24th 2008 2:29AM]

Why do almost all cars that run on alternative fuels have to be so damn ugly? And yes I do know of a few exceptions, but honestly why can they not make them all more appealing. I feel like if these cars were both energy efficient AND aesthetically pleasing a lot more people would want one... Idk.

[mos @ Dec 24th 2008 2:43AM]

WatchUK's Top Gear. Clarity looks like a car but better.It even has a glowing circle on the dash board which tell you how fast the car consumes hydrogen.

[Tony @ Dec 24th 2008 2:50AM]

This is how the car actually looks:
http://automobiles.honda.com/images/2008/fcx-clarity/exterior-gallery/StyleF8_2_lg.jpg

The differences are subtle, but they make a big difference.

[jinushaun @ Dec 24th 2008 2:55AM]

I dunno... I for one like the look of the 2nd gen Prius and FCX Clarity.

[Victoid @ Dec 24th 2008 3:44AM]

is that a car? ... or king kong's gillette mach 3??

[wodheila @ Dec 24th 2008 6:56AM]

So others will know you have one and they don't.

[Mojo_Yugen @ Dec 24th 2008 9:29AM]

Your question can be shortened to:

Why do almost all cars have to be so damn ugly?

Seriously, this isn't any worse (or better) looking than 98% of the cars I see on the road.

[Justin @ Dec 24th 2008 2:46AM]

That is fucking kickass. I don't know how Hydro fuels are going to progress though, it seems like a dead end. Why not make this compatible with green fuels? Algae bio-fuel will lead the way until a complete alternative energy source is found/made, so why make it Hydrogen? We'll have to see how this plays out. Awesome car though.

[Dahk @ Dec 24th 2008 4:03AM]

Because H2 + O = ... crap I forget. It's on the tip of my tongue...

[Beastage @ Dec 24th 2008 8:28AM]

Justin may be uninformed, but what coldhearted douche gave him low rank?! and during Christmas? I'm clicking the +

[DoubleDouche @ Dec 25th 2008 8:22PM]

I did. Christmas or not a fuckwit doesn't deserve to be even "Neutral".

[Alexander Land @ Dec 24th 2008 2:46AM]

I wish you guys would roll with facebook connect.

Anyway, my comment is 'I, for one, welcome our new Japanese overlords.'

Carry on.

[lanosian @ Dec 24th 2008 7:38AM]

Godzilla?

[ipubs bastard child @ Dec 24th 2008 4:00AM]

Balls to the robots. Only a genius could take the suberb design and sleek lines of the honda civic and bastardise them to make sure alternative fuelled cars continue to look like the auto-plegics of the car industry. This car looks special and not in a mummy's little soldier kind of way.

[Down @ Dec 24th 2008 4:01AM]

Electric > Hydrogen

[Michael @ Dec 24th 2008 4:28AM]

Fuel Cells ARE electric; they generate electricity which powers the car's electric motor(s). You get all the perks (copious torque, reliability) of battery-electric without most of the negatives (long recharges, ridiculous weight).

[raf @ Dec 24th 2008 5:19AM]

but you get more cons like extremely high price of hydrogen cars and unability to store hydrogen efficiently. the 100% electric car is chap and efficient, the technology is here, to be more precisely technology have beed here since like 10years. but the oil industry is pulling wool over our eyes with hydrogen cars which will NEVER work are NEVER be avaliable for middle class people. watch 'who killed electric car'

[LongKnight @ Dec 24th 2008 7:33AM]

Hey ral didn't they say that about the internal combustion engine? The fun thing is all energy gets back to the same basic source Hydrogen! Amazing......

[Tony @ Dec 24th 2008 4:52PM]

Recharge times can be in the 10 minute range with the right tech, see AltairNano.

Making hydrogen available everywhere is a lot harder.

Battery EVs don't have to be super heavy. Think 10% extra weight. That's not a huge hurdle.
More expensive batteries like Lithium Polymer can shave that down too.

Making fuel cells affordable is a huge hurdle. FCX's cost a half million each!

Fuel cells may be the way of the future but not the near future!

[Bal @ Dec 24th 2008 5:19AM]

I don't think this things for sale. Lease only....$600 per month.

[Dave Chappelle @ Dec 24th 2008 5:23AM]

Now all they wantis a 40 billion dollar tax payers bailout? because they are so darn original.!.. oh wait this is Honda we are talking about.

http://www.treehugger.com/20081209-the-bailout-shitty-cars.jpg

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/5151/bwahahaevenjesusislaugheb3.jpg

[jimmy @ Dec 24th 2008 8:00AM]

I swear the Big 3 has no clue wats going on right now........should an american car lead the way??...

[MA7mgte @ Dec 24th 2008 11:40AM]

Yea, GM has no idea what their doing:
http://wiki.gmnext.com/wiki/index.php/2003,_GM_Fuel_Cell_Vehicles_Hit_the_Street_in_Japan
http://wiki.gmnext.com/wiki/index.php/2006,_Sequel,_the_Most_Technologically_Advanced_Concept_Yet
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car_shopping/green_machines/2008_chevrolet_equinox_fuel_cell_car_news

[GahannaKid @ Dec 24th 2008 10:14AM]

GM has been working on Hydrogen powered vehicles for awhile now, development has been moved to the back burner in favor of electric & hybrid vehicles in recent years though. Honda and BMW are the other two big names that are furthest along with their development. Others are working on it as well but I'm not sure how far they've gotten.

Review of the GM Hydrogen vehicle
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4271419.html

[GeekPI @ Dec 24th 2008 12:08PM]

Unless they start making aerogel in mass quantities (for its insulation properties), hydrogen fuel has some major problems. The main one is that liquid hydrogen has to be kept at cryogenic temperatures to maintain enough density to give decent range. If you fuel up your hydrogen car, such as the BMW Hydrogen 7, it'll be empty within 4-5 days because the fuel has warmed up, expanded and vented into the atmosphere. Even BMW's vice-president is quite vocal about this drawback. Even when fully compressed and liquid, hydrogen contains a lower energy density of gasoline by a factor of four.

That, and the inefficiencies involved with creating liquid, compressed hydrogen, transporting it, storing it (all while maintaining cryogenic temperatures), then consuming it in an engine, or using it to generate on-board electricity to power an auto. It is a great idea in principal, especially when considering end use emissions but in practice it may be a false hope due to the major drawbacks involving the need to keep the fuel below it's boiling point, which is -423* F.

[Hangster @ Dec 24th 2008 12:14PM]

I thought the concept was that you fuel your car with water and it converts it into hydrogen for you... but then you'd need a separate energy source to do that i guess...

[jimmy @ Dec 24th 2008 4:09PM]

MA7 and Gahnnakid, your guys are right they are working on new stuff, Those cars should be dont by 2020 or 2021. not sure which year....
you know it and i know it...but it think new hydrogen cars and electric cars are not going to come out cuz its too hard for GM and Ford to come up with a plan...they need to hire people from toyota and nissan.