In an effort to grow its hydrogen business, Japan's Honda Motor Co. announced that it will begin manufacturing a new hydrogen fuel cell system jointly developed with General Motors Co. this year and gradually ramp up sales this decade.

 

Honda announced that it will aim to sell 2,000 units of the new system annually by the middle of this decade, with a goal of increasing that to 60,000 units annually by 2030.

 

The Japanese automaker wants to deploy its new method more widely, not just in its own fuel cell electric cars (FCEVs), but also in large trucks, stationary power plants, and construction equipment.

 

As per Honda Senior Managing Executive Director Shinji Aoyama, production of the hydrogen fuel cell system will begin this year through its joint venture with GM. He made the announcement to media at a business event in Tokyo.

 

The company hopes to reduce expenses by two-thirds and more than double durability compared to its current fuel cell system with the "next-generation" system.

 

"While commercial vehicles are in use all over the world, they'll likely see electrification just as with passenger cars," said Tetsuya Hasebe, general manager of Honda's hydrogen business development division.

 

That would probably result in a split between trucks that run on batteries and those that run on fuel cells, he continued.