The General and Honda announced today a collaboration to build the next generation of hydrogen fuel cell.
A long-term agreement will see co-development through sharing expertise, building economies or scale and known sourcing strategies. The two auto giants will coordinate with stakeholders in advancing refuelling infrastructure.
Both General Motors and Honda rank first and second respectively for total fuel cell patents filed between 2002 and 2012, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index. The two have 1200 patents combined and have both produced a hydrogen fuel celled vehicle in the past.
Honda’s FCX, in 2002, was the first official mass-produced HFCV. It’s successor, the FCX Clarity went on sale in Japan last year. In 
2007 GM’s Project Driveway program accumulated nearly three million miles of real-world driving in a fleet of 119 hydrogen-powered cars.
“This collaboration builds upon Honda and GM’s strengths in hydrogen fuel cell technology,” GM CEO Dan Ackerson said.
“Among all zero CO2 emission technologies,” said Honda CEO Takanobu Ito, “fuel cell electric vehicles have a definitive advantage with range and refuelling time that is as good as conventional gasoline cars. Honda and GM are eager to accelerate the market penetration of this ultimate clean mobility technology.”
Currently the only hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road in Australia are the Toyota Mirai, launched in November last year, and the left-hook Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell, due for a right-hand drive launch in 2017.
