Honda has announced the first five customers for its advanced FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, which has begun production in Japan. The first FCX will be delivered to film producer Ron Yerxa in July, while the remaining four vehicles will be driven by actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Harris, as well as business leaders Jim Salomon and Jon Spallino.
Spallino, a construction company CEO, has been leasing the current-generation FCX model since 2005. He attended the launch event in Japan with Harris and Yerxa. These early adopters will refuel their hydrogen-powered sedans at stations located near selected Southern-California Honda dealerships which are also specially equipped to service the models periodically.
"This is an important day in the history of fuel cell vehicle technology and a monumental step closer to the day when fuel cell cars will be part of the mainstream," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "Our customers and dealers share in our vision for a cleaner and more sustainable transportation future, and share in our challenge to embrace a new generation of automotive technology that we think will carry the auto industry and its customers into the future."
Honda plans to lease about 200 FCX models in Canada and Japan in the first 3 years of production, with leases beginning in July. That's not a whole lot of cars- though it's the first large-scale retail initiative for a technology which can power vehicles with water as the only emission.
photo:Honda
Spallino, a construction company CEO, has been leasing the current-generation FCX model since 2005. He attended the launch event in Japan with Harris and Yerxa. These early adopters will refuel their hydrogen-powered sedans at stations located near selected Southern-California Honda dealerships which are also specially equipped to service the models periodically.
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"This is an important day in the history of fuel cell vehicle technology and a monumental step closer to the day when fuel cell cars will be part of the mainstream," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "Our customers and dealers share in our vision for a cleaner and more sustainable transportation future, and share in our challenge to embrace a new generation of automotive technology that we think will carry the auto industry and its customers into the future."
Honda plans to lease about 200 FCX models in Canada and Japan in the first 3 years of production, with leases beginning in July. That's not a whole lot of cars- though it's the first large-scale retail initiative for a technology which can power vehicles with water as the only emission.
photo:Honda
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