Honda and GM's revolutionary co-developed hydrogen fuel cell system

Delhi : Honda Motor Co. of Japan said this year that it will begin production of a new hydrogen fuel cell system developed in collaboration with General Motors Co. and progressively increase sales over the next decade in an effort to boost its hydrogen business.

Honda said on Thursday that it plans to begin selling the new system in about 2,000 units annually by the middle of this decade and increase that number to 60,000 units annually by the year 2030.

The Japanese automaker wants to increase the application of its innovative system beyond just its own fuel cell electric cars (FCEVs), including large trucks, stationary power plants, and construction equipment.

According to Honda Senior Managing Executive Director Shinji Aoyama, production of the hydrogen fuel cell system will begin this year through its joint venture with GM. He made the announcement to media at a business event in Tokyo.

The company hopes to reduce expenses by two-thirds and more than double durability compared to its current fuel cell system with the "next-generation" system.

Although commercial vehicles are used all over the world, Tetsuya Hasebe, general manager of Honda's hydrogen business development division, predicted that they would electrify exactly like passenger automobiles.

That would probably result in a split between trucks that run on batteries and those that run on fuel cells, he continued.