GM and Honda to build joint fuel cell system

General Motors and Honda are cooking with gas. 

The two car companies have announced a collaboration to build a mass produced fuel cell system as the race to zero emissions intensifies. 

Each company has committed US$42.5 million ($56.25) to the new venture. A new factory - which as to be expected in the current political climate - will be built in the US state of Michigan and is expected to create 100 new jobs, with production scheduled to start by 2020. 

General Motors doesn't have any fuel cell vehicles to date, but it does hold a number of fuel cell technology patents. 

Honda on the other hand has been one of the pioneers the hydrogen-powered vehicle, first with its FCX Clarity and its follow-up the Honda FCV. 

Toyota is also hot on its heels with the release of its Mirai fuel cell vehicle while South Korean car maker, Hyundai, offers its ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle in South Korea and Europe and has a more advanced fuel cell vehicle in the pipeline for release in 2018.

However, while the technology may be progressing, the infrastructure needed to push hydrogen cars mainstream has been found wanting.  

In Australia the issue is more stark, with larger distances between major cities and lack of government support. 

During the roadshow for the Toyota Mirai in November 2016, Toyota Australia product planning corporate manager Michael Elias, stated that "Admittedly Australia has lagged behind in any environmental policies, incentives, or anything to drive the demand [for alternative fuelled vehicles]."  

"So it's purely the consumers looking at the value equation and that by itself has never, in any global market, been enough," said Elias. 

Other car makers, such as Mercedes-Benz, have lost interest in hydrogen cars, instead choosing to focus on electric cars as batteries become more capable according to Dr Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board for Mercedes' Daimler parent company, when Drive spoke with him at the 2017 Detroit motor show in January. 

"In the last five, six, seven years battery electric vehicles have developed much faster, much further than we expected," he says. "The advantages of fuel cell vehicles as far as filling versus charging times are concerned have become much smaller. For that reason, I think it's smart to focus on battery electric vehicles." 

Dr Zetsche also bemoaned the lack of infrastructure for hydrogen cars, while most of the world is already connected to the electricity grid.