United States
                    Environmental Protection
                    Agency
                       Air and Radiation
                                           EPA420-F-02-055
                                           February 2003
                    Office of Transportation and Air Quality
&EPA
Technical
Highlights
                    EPA Fuel Cell Vehicle Testing
                       In November 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                       (EPA) for the first time certified a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (the
                       2003 Honda PCX) and completed fuel economy testing of the
                       vehicle at its National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory
                       (NVFEL).
                       All motor vehicles sold in
                       the United States must be
                       certified by the EPA for
                       emissions. The Agency also
                       conducts fuel economy
                       testing of new vehicles at
                       NVFEL in Ann Arbor,
                       Michigan. The results of the
                       testing are published yearly
                       in the Fuel Economy Guide.
                       Because the Honda FCX is emissions-free, NVFEL conducted only
                       fuel economy tests. Honda agreed that, as a condition of certifica-
                       tion, a vehicle would be supplied for testing at NVFEL.

                       Prior to testing, EPA modified its laboratory in order to comply with
                       strict federal and local safety regulations governing the safe han-
                       dling of hydrogen, which fuels the vehicle.
                                                             i Printed on Recycled Paper

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     The EPA laboratory is the first U.S. federal facility to receive safety
     approval for official testing of fuel cell vehicles.

     Because compressed hydrogen is currently sold on the basis of a
     unit of mass (the kilogram) instead of by volume (the gallon), EPA
     measured the number of kilograms of hydrogen used during the fuel
     economy testing.

     As part of the testing, EPA established the official hydrogen fuel
     economy estimates for the Honda PCX vehicle, which are 51 miles
     per kilogram in the city, and 48 miles per kilogram on the highway.
     On an energy basis, this would translate into about 52 and 49 mpg
     of gasoline, respectively. Fuel efficiency can be expected to im-
     prove as this new technology is developed toward actual consumer
     use. Today's cost of compressed hydrogen is about $5.00 per kilo-
     gram.

     The Honda PCX has no exhaust and only produces a small amount
     of water vapor in its operation. The fuel cell operates on com-
     pressed gaseous hydrogen contained in a crash-protected high-
     pressure cylinder at the rear of the vehicle. The fuel cell uses hydro-
     gen to generate electricity on demand to power the electric motor.

     Honda has introduced a limited number of fuel cell vehicles
     through a pilot leasing program in the Los Angeles, California, area.
     There are no immediate plans to mass-market these vehicles.

     EPA looks forward to providing manufacturers with the technical
     support needed to broaden  this upcoming technology. EPA is a
     member of the California Fuel Cell Partnership, a member of the
     Society of Automotive Engineers (S AE) Fuel Cell Committee, and
     closely coordinates with the national FreedomCAR program.
For More Information
For more information on NVFEL, visit our Web page at:
    www. epa. gov/otaq/01 -nvfel .htm

Information on fuel cells is available at:
    www.epa.gov/fuelcell

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