1998 Honda Odyssey Lx Mini Passenger Van 5-door 2.3l on 2040-cars

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Honda making hydrogen from solar power in UK

Honda is going to launch a hydrogen-powered production vehicle (its second, really) next year, but the all-important H2 infrastructure question hasn't been fully answered yet. One possible solution is being tested over in the United Kingdom, where Honda is turning solar energy and water into hydrogen at its Swindon plant. SHD Logistics says the plant is the UK's "first commercial-scale hydrogen production and refuelling facility powered by solar energy." Despite the presence of an FCX Clarity in some pictures from the ribbon cutting, it's unclear if the station will be able to fuel any passenger cars. SHD Logistics talks about sending the hydrogen from where it is generated on the Honda plant grounds into the plant using 300-meter underground pipes so that hydrogen forklifts can refuel as needed. Two hydrogen fuel cell trucks used by Briggs Equipment UK, Honda's partner in the station, will also refuel at the plant. Honda said earlier this year that it, along with partner GM, would work to reduce the costs of a hydrogen refueling infrastructure. Solar-powered hydrolysis – which is what the Swindon facility uses – doesn't sound cheap to us, but at least it reduces the overall environmental costs, compared to using electricity generated from fossil fuels.

Recharge Wrap-up: Charging in Iceland, Smart "For" campaign, Honda open sources Smart Home

Iceland's EV charging network is expanding by 200 units. A subsidiary of Northern Lights Energy called EVEN is providing and installing the rapid chargers, which it hopes to have installed by the end of the year. EVEN's Gisli Gislasson says, "We couldn't wait for the government and decided to do our part in this." Iceland's government hopes to have 10 percent of the cars on its road powered by sustainable fuels by 2020. Read more at Iceland Review. Argonne National Laboratory is working to create universal charging for electric vehicles. Through its new Electric Vehicle Interoperability Center, the group is studying ways to standardize charging so any type of electric vehicle in any country can charge at any charging station. Additionally, the research is working on ways to better integrate electric cars to a smart grid, to the point where EVs could even act as part of the grid, charging when they need it and providing electricity during peak hours. Go to Phys.org for more details. Smart has launched its "For" campaign in Europe. The maker of the tiny city cars is reaching out to the public through updated branding, ads through various channels and social media engagement to get people thinking about Smart in fresh ways. The campaign emphasizes the "For" idea, as in "For challenging the status quo," "For loving the city," etc. Also as part of the campaign, Smart will be embarking on a Europe-wide roadshow to 15 different cities, where the public can learn more about the cars – particularly the Fortwo and Forfour models – and even arrange a test drive. Read more in the press release below. Honda is publicly sharing plans associated with its Smart Home project. The project, which goes beyond cars and into the home to look for ways to live efficiently and reduce CO2 emissions, involves sustainable energy and heating and cooling methods, smart lighting, sustainable building materials and waste management, passive design and, of course, vehicle charging. Now, technical details such as architectural plans, mechanical drawings, furniture specs and CAD data will be open-source and publicly available for any interested parties. Check out the Honda Smart Home website to learn more, or to start downloading the plans yourself. "FOR" brand campaign: smart: More than just a car Functionality, innovation and joie de vivre – these are the brand values that make smart so unique. smart sees itself as a future-oriented, visionary brand that stands for a great idea.

Honda CR-Z refresh coming this fall

Despite moving just 1,562 of them through July 2015 with sales down 33.7 percent, the Honda CR-Z is somehow still kicking in the US lineup. Honda isn't ready to give up and is even announcing a refresh for the hybrid hatchback in hopes of giving the little car a jolt. Before you get too excited, the powertrain remains unaltered for the update with the same 1.5-liter four-cylinder and IMA hybrid system making 130 horsepower. The refresh arrives in Japan in October, and according to Automotive News, the improvements arrive in the US in November. The styling sees the biggest change of the revisions. Up front, the lower air dam now slices through the grille and leads right to the foglights. A similar addition is found on the rear, as well. The brake discs grow to 15-inches, an inch larger than before. Japan gets LED headlights too, but they reportedly aren't coming here to keep prices down. To match the revised exterior, there are tech tweaks inside. An upgraded infotainment system that adds both noise cancelation and an engine sound amplifier to make those 130 ponies at least sound sporty. Another tiny change is the switch to an an electric parking brake and the addition of a center armrest. Rumors suggest Honda is considering whether to dump the hybrid in favor of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the next-gen CR-Z. However, chief engineer Terukazu Torikai disagrees. When asked about the possibility of a non-electrified model, he told Automotive News, "There are no plans for that whatsoever."