Honda Rolls Out Fuel Cell Vehicle
Honda rolled out their new zero emission vehicle today in Japan and a “few dozen” are on their way to California. According to MSNBC, Honda will lease out about 200 more fuel cell vehicles of this kind in the next three years. The FCX Clarity runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water, and does not release any fumes that cause global warming. The FCX Clarity will be leased for $600/month for three years which includes maintenance and collision coverage. Several Hollywood stars, including Jamie Lee Curtis, are the first customers to lease the FCX Clarity.
This 3600 pound fuel cell vehicle can reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour. According to Honda, the FCX Clarity will get approximately 270 miles per tank with hydrogen consumption equivalent to 74 miles per gallon. According to John Mendel, the executive vice president of America Honda Motor Co., this is an “especially significant day for American Honda as we plant firm footsteps toward the mainstreaming of fuel cell cars.”
The biggest problems with the fuel cell vehicle today is that they are expensive and there are not enough hydrogen fuel stations available. Only people living close to the fueling stations in Southern California were able to lease the FCX Clarity. According to businessman, Jon Spallino, who owns the older FCX model fuel cell vehicle, the “single limiting factor” is the lack of fueling stations. Spallino says that range is the problem. He uses his vehicle to drive around Los Angeles, but cannot go much further than that due to the shortage of fueling stations. According to MSNBC, most world automakers have been a spending a great deal of time and heavily investing in fuel cell vehicles due to the rise in fuel prices and the global warming concerns.
The FCX Clarity looks like a hot item for the future, but we will have to wait a couple of years for them to be more readily available.