Program marks first-ever large-scale retail initiative for a fuel cell
vehicle
TORRANCE, Calif., May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Honda plans to deliver about
200 FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles to customers in the
first three years of production, with leases beginning in July, American
Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. The lease program marks the world's
first large-scale retail initiative for fuel cell vehicle technology, and
Honda has begun the process of identifying customers from a group of over
50,000 individuals who have expressed interest in the FCX Clarity on the
company's website.
Honda will announce its first customers when the first FCX Clarity
rolls off the production line at a ceremony on June 16, 2008 in Japan,
where Honda will also showcase the world's first dedicated fuel cell
vehicle production facility. Additionally, Honda will announce further
plans for involvement by Honda dealerships in the U.S., as well as future
customer care and customer qualification initiatives.
"Our customers for the current generation FCX have played an important
role in our advancement of Honda fuel cell vehicle technology," said John
Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "The first FCX Clarity
customers represent the early adopters who will play a critical role in the
mainstreaming of fuel cell cars.
"We remain firmly convinced that the hydrogen-powered fuel cell car
represents one of the best long-term solutions to the world's growing
environmental and energy concerns," added Mendel. "With the launch of the
FCX Clarity lease program, we will begin making fuel cell vehicles a market
reality allowing customers to participate in creating a cleaner and more
sustainable transportation future."
The FCX Clarity launch began in October 2005 with the unveiling of the
next-generation FCX Concept vehicle at the Tokyo Motor Show, which was
followed in November 2007 by the debut of the FCX Clarity production model
at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where the company announced plans to begin
leasing vehicles to customers in the U.S. Initially, the program will be
based on a 3-year lease term with a price of $600 per month and will be
targeted at consumers in Southern California.
Customer selection process
Honda expects to lease several dozen FCX Clarity models per year in the
U.S. and Japan to reach the total of about 200 units in the first three
years. Since its Tokyo concept debut, Honda has received requests from more
than 50,000 individuals who have indicated their interest in receiving
further updates about the vehicle and about being considered as future
customers of Honda fuel cell technology. The company is now working to
narrow the list through a four-step customer qualification process:
-- Step 1 -- Based on respondents' residential location, the list of
potential customers has been narrowed to approximately 500 people
living in very close proximity to publicly-accessible hydrogen fueling
stations, including planned or existing stations in Santa Monica,
Torrance and Irvine.
-- Step 2 -- Customers meeting the geographical criteria will receive an
e-mail prompting them to take a customer selection survey if they are
serious about wanting to lease an FCX Clarity.
-- Step 3 - The survey will qualify customers based on driving patterns,
vehicle needs, vehicle storage and financial criteria.
-- Step 4 -- Customers qualify for the next steps, including an interview
with American Honda.
Everyone who has expressed an interest in the FCX Clarity will be kept
abreast of new developments via the FCX Clarity web site and by e-mail
communications. All interested prospects' information will be retained for
future consideration.
About the FCX Clarity
The FCX Clarity is a next-generation, hydrogen-powered fuel cell
vehicle. Propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated
in the fuel cell, its only emission is water, and its fuel efficiency is
three times that of a modern gasoline-powered automobile.
Based on the entirely-new Honda V Flow fuel cell platform, and powered
by a highly compact, efficient and powerful new Honda V Flow fuel cell
stack, the FCX Clarity marks the significant progress Honda continues to
make in advancing the real-world performance and appeal of the fuel cell
car. Significant advances over Honda's previous generation FCX include:
-- an advanced new four-passenger sedan design
-- a greater than 30 percent increase in driving range to 270 miles(1)
-- a 20 percent increase in fuel economy to 68mpg(2)
-- a 48 percent increase in fuel cell stack power density
-- a 40 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter new lithium-ion battery
pack
Honda is responsible for the development of the world's first fuel cell
car to be certified for regular commercial use by the U.S. EPA and
California Air Resources Board; the first commercial lease of a fuel cell
car to a fleet customer; and the first individual retail customer for a
fuel cell vehicle.
Honda and the Environment
Based on its philosophy of being a company "society want to exist",
Honda has been a leader in the development of cleaner and more fuel
efficient products for more than thirty years, beginning in 1975 with the
introduction of the Civic CVCC, the first vehicle to meet U.S. Clean Air
Act exhaust emissions standards without a catalyst. Honda introduced the
world's first Low (LEV), Ultra-Low (ULEV) and Super Ultra-Low (SULEV)
emissions gasoline vehicles, and America's first low emission
gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, the Honda Insight, in December 1999. The
company has been recognized four consecutive times as America's "greenest
automaker" by the Union of Concerned Scientists, most recently in 2007, and
has maintained the highest automobile fleet-average fuel efficiency (lowest
fleet-average CO2 emissions) of any U.S. automaker over the past 15
years(3). The company is accelerating its efforts to introduce more
fuel-efficient vehicles, including an all-new, more affordable hybrid Honda
slated for introduction in 2009.
(1) Preliminary Honda estimate, based on existing EPA range methodology
(2) Honda estimate of EPA city-highway combined fuel economy rating for
FCX Clarity
(3) Average sales-weighted fuel consumption for 1992-2007 mid-model year
passenger-car and light-truck fleets sold in the U.S. based on final
CAFE reports through 2006 and 2007 mid-year reports
SOURCE Honda
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Related links:
http://www.honda.com
CONTACT:
Sage Marie, +1-310-200-8359, or Christina Ra,
+1-310-795-8584, both of Honda
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