BACK IN OCTOBERwe revealed
Honda’s patent applications for
ahydrogenfuelcellbikeand
nowthefirmhastakenabig
steptowardssolvingoneofthe
technology’s major drawbacks;
thelackofaconvenient
refuelling infrastructure.
Honda has joined forces with
ten other companies, including
fellowcartitansNissanand
Toyota to develop hydrogen
refuelling stations and the
network behind them. Other
companiesinthegroupinclude
financial institutions and
existing fuel suppliers.
It’spartofaplan,backedby
theJapanesegovernment,to
massively increase the number
of hydrogen-powered vehicles
on the roads in that country.
Atthemoment,onlyahandful
of hydrogen vehicles are
availablebuttheintentionisto
have 40,000 fuel cell vehicles
on Japan’s roads by 2020. They
willbesupportedbyanetwork
of160hydrogenfillingstations
bythesamedeadline.
The new joint venture
company will be responsible
for 80 new filling stations
within the next four years.
That’s phase one. The overall
aim is to operate the new
company for a decade to create
a fully viable, nationwide
network of hydrogen stations
and a wide range of vehicles to
take advantage of them.
The announcement
puts a fresh perspective on
Honda’s designs for a fuel cell
motorcycle. With the issue
of hydrogen supply solved,
such a vehicle – using a fuel
cell to combine hydrogen with
oxygen from the air, creatingelectricitytopowerthebike
andpurewaterastheonly
exhaust–makesalotofsense.
Hydrogen tanks can be refilled
muchfasterthanabatterycan
be charged, solving the biggest
problem with existing electric
vehicles.
Honda has also been working
on another sticking point for
hydrogen fuel cells, namely the
issue of getting the hydrogen
in the first place. Patent
applications show that the firm
is developing new technologies
to make electrolysis – the
process of extracting hydrogen
from water – more efficient and
less costly.
BEN PURVISAussie-built electric scooter!
Australia’s first electric
motorcycle manufacturer
Fonzarelli scooters is upping
the ante in 2018 with production
starting this month of the firm’s
most advanced model yet.
Dubbed the X1, the new all-
electric scooter gets a 20km/h
advantage over the current
model – a top speed claimed
at 100km/h – and a 0-50km/h
time of under four seconds.
Depending on the consumer’s
needs, the company can tailor
the bike’s performance to
the needs of the rider. It can
tweak acceleration, top speed,
regenerative braking, etc,
and depending on the chosen
set-up, the company claims
a battery range of anywhere
between 50 and 100km.
“After two successful years
in operation, the time is right
to bring manufacturing home,”
the firm’s managing director
Michelle Nazzari said. “We have
the skills we need right here,
and we’ve engineered a high
performing product with a
simple drivetrain, efficiently and
cost-effectively built locally.”
The X1 will carry a retail price
of $9890 and the first units
will be available to would-
be Australian owners from
February this year. KBBenelli’s
LAMS-
approved
adventure
bike here
BENELLI AUSTRALIA HAS taken
delivery of the first shipment of
its all-new middleweight LAMS-
approved adventure bike,
making the TRK 502 available
for a ride-away price of $8790.
Powered by a 500cc parallel-
twin engine matched to a six-
speed gearbox, it’s a bike with
an eye on practicality, offering
a touring screen, GPS mount,
hand guards and 12-volt power
socket all as standard.
With a useful 20-litre fuel
tank, the all-new TRK 502
has an optional rear rack and
hard panniers, and carries a
two-year unlimited kilometre
warranty with two-years
roadside assist.
It’s available in three colours;
red, white or grey.
KELLIE BUCKLEYA big problem for hydrogen-
powered vehicles is keeping
the fuel in liquid form;
BMW made a tank so well
insulated it would take an
ice-cube more than a decade
to melt. Honda’s patent
application show an underseat
tank and shaft-driveHonda builds infrastructure
to make fuel cells viable