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Honda Installs Fast-Fill Hydrogen Refueling Station at California Facility

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One of the largest concerns that consumers have when it comes to the emergence of hybrid fuel cell technology in automobiles is whether or not states can create the infrastructure necessary to support them. Honda R&D Americas is looking to assuage some of those fears by installing a state-of-the-art fast-fill hydrogen refueling station at its facility in Torrance, California.

The fast-fill hydrogen refueling station is intended to serve as a demonstration of the ease with which hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles—such as Honda’s upcoming FCEV—can be refilled. Honda is currently naming their hydrogen refueling protocol MC Fill.

MC Hammer Feel My Power

Please, Honda. Don’t hurt ‘em.

Honda’s fast-fill hydrogen refueling station derives its somewhat quirky/funky headhunting name from Mass and C for a specific heat (presumably Celsius), MC representing the heat capacity of the storage system and its capability for absorbing the heat that would be generated by the refueling process. In laymen’s terms: it’s fast, efficient, and largely foolproof.

“In order to meet customer expectations, hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles need driving ranges and fueling times comparable to conventional gasoline vehicles,” said Steve Mathison, Senior Engineer at Honda R&D Americas, Inc, in a statement. “This new fueling protocol will allow FCEV customers everywhere to realize short fueling times over a wide range of temperatures.”

What do you think it will take for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to be more viable to consumers in the future?