The Detroit Auto Show— the biggest auto show of the year—has arrived, and we're already seeing bold innovations in concept cars.
On Monday, Audi unveiled its h-tron quattro concept car, which runs on hydrogen alone using fuel cell technology:
Earlier this year at the Tokyo Auto Show, Honda unveiled a hydrogen powered car called Clarity, which can achieve a 400-mile range.
Audi's mustard-yellow concept car marks the first time the automaker is wading into fuel cell technology, according to a press release. There are two electric motors on the front and rear axles (hence the "quattro" name) that provide a total of 230 kW of energy.
The SUV concept can go from 0 to 62 miles per hour in under 7.1 seconds.
Its hydrogen tank can be refilled in four minutes, providing an impressive range of 372 miles. How exactly the tank would be refueled is unclear as this technology isn't close to mainstream yet. We've reached out to Audi about this and will update with any response we receive.
Honda is working on creating a "Smart Hydrogen Station,” which would be a small device that uses high-pressure electrolysis to create hydrogen for use in your car. Honda has yet to say when the station will be completed, but its hydrogen concept is expected to go on sale this Spring.
Toyota already began rolling out its hydrogen fuel cell-powered car, the Mirai, to select customers in California. By 2017, the company aims to have as many as 3,000 Mirais on the road in the US.
Audi says its h-tron quattro concept car gives a hint at the automaker's innovative technologies to come, like its piloted driving and parking that will go into production in 2017.
