Fuel Cells, Plug-in Hybrids Fueled Buzz at Tokyo Show

TOKYO – Honda covers many of the propulsion-system bases at the recently concluded 43^rd Tokyo auto show, introducing a new series of downsized gasoline engines and an all-electric minicar on the heels of a next-generation fuel-cell electric vehicle unveiled at the Los Angeles show.

About 400 2-, 3- and 4-wheeled vehicles were on display, including a next-generation Axela hybrid and concept compressed-natural-gas vehicle from Mazda, three hybrid concepts from Mitsubishi and a prototype FCEV from Toyota slated for launch in early 2015.

About a dozen European automakers, including BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes, were represented at the biennial show, which drew nearly 1 million visitors, but the only U.S. company on hand was EV manufacturer Tesla.

Honda will launch 1.1L, 1.5L and 2.0L turbocharged engines over the next three years. The 1.5L unit likely will be first on the market, perhaps two years from now. The 1.1L mill will debut in the Chinese market and eventually be reconfigured into versions ranging from 1.3L to 1.8L.

Honda earlier introduced a 0.66L engine for its N series of minicars.

While Honda was showing off in Los Angeles a concept that would succeed its Clarity FCEV, Toyota defended the technology in Tokyo against a skeptical Carlos Ghosn, the Nissan-Renault CEO who has been an outspoken advocate for EVs.

“Where’s the hydrogen infrastructure?” he asked. “Who’s going to pay for it?”

Yoshikazu Tanaka, chief engineer in charge of Toyota’s FCEV, deflected Ghosn’s questions by reminding fuel-cell critics of the hours, not minutes, still needed to charge most EV batteries.

Tanaka, who earlier brought the Prius plug-in hybrid to life, reaffirmed the automaker’s commitment to sell FCEVs on the retail market, not just to universities and research institutes and local governments.

Toyota claims its FCEV has a range of 310 miles (500 km) when employing a pair of 10,153-psi (70-MPa) hydrogen tanks. Tanaka says the fuel-cell stack’s output level is slightly higher than the 3.0 kW/L it achieved in 2012.

Honda also has reached 3.0 kW/L power levels with its new FCEV concept. Unlike Toyota, Honda has not decided whether to sell the Clarity successor in 2015 or make it available only for lease.

A senior researcher confirms the automaker still hopes to reduce the FCEV’s price to ¥4 million ($40,000), as it stated as long ago as 2005, but the target date has been pushed back from 2020 to 2025.

Honda also unveils the MC-B, a 2-seat EV, at Smart Mobility City, a mini-exhibit held in conjunction with the Tokyo show. Field tests of the ultralight car, whose lithium-ion battery produces 15 kW (20 hp), began last month. The automaker hopes to sell more than 10,000 units by 2018.

Mazda displays its new Axela Hybrid and an Axela CNG concept. Standard and hybrid versions of the Axela, sold outside Japan as the Mazda3, went on sale Nov. 20 in its home market.

The auto maker predicts hybrids will represent 40% of Axela sales, or 1,200 units out of a projected monthly total of 3,000. The model’s key components, including inverters, motors and batteries, are supplied by Toyota, which employs the same technology in the Prius and Lexus CT200h.

The Axela hybrid is being sold only in Japan, where an estimated 70% of cars in the C-segment are hybrids.

Mazda’s CNG model basically is road-ready, although no launch date has been disclosed. Potential markets include Thailand and Indonesia.

Mitsubishi displays three hybrid concepts including two plug-ins, the GC-PHEV and XR-PHEV, which are being readied for a possible 2017 launch. The automaker says it remains committed to EVs, although from mid-January through September it sold 9,184 PHEV versions of its Outlander CUV, compared with 1,137 EVs.

Ryugo Nakao, Mitsubishi managing director-product and strategy, says the automaker will stay the course for its achieving its 2020 PHEV/EV sales target of 20%.

Some 100 suppliers rolled out their latest technologies at the show. Among them: