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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