Honda is taking another step toward Toyota in the hybrid vehicle market with its new FCX Clarity. This hydrogen/electric hybrid is rolling off the assembly line of Honda’s New Model Center as you read this post. The three-year goal for Honda is leasing 200 of these vehicles to consumers in the United States and Japan. The initial run of FCX Clarity vehicles will enter Honda dealerships in southern California by July 2008.
The FCX Clarity powers its electric drive motor with the help of a lithium-ion battery, hydrogen tank and Honda’s proprietary V Flow Stack system. Honda devoted a new facility in the Tochigi Prefecture to developing hybrid vehicles like the FCX Clarity. This factory has special machinery and personnel capable of installing hybrid elements in a timely manner. Honda’s battery facility is located within the same prefecture and mass produces thousands of fuel cells for V Flow Stack units.
Honda is taking great care to establish an infrastructure before unveiling the FCX Clarity in the United States. The Japanese company has commissioned dealerships in Torrance, Costa Mesa and Santa Monica to take care of leasing for a limited number of drivers. These dealerships will work with the Los Angeles service center to take care of technical problems, financing and other lease aspects for American customers. It is a good sign that Honda is taking the rollout of FCX Clarity slow and steady. This innovative technology needs to be tested out by a handful of hybrid vehicle enthusiasts before Honda devotes more resources to this project.
Another step taken by Honda to drum up support for the FCX Clarity is leasing out initial vehicles to American celebrities. The biggest names associated with the FCX Clarity include actress Jamie Lee Curtis and director Christopher Guest who are active in the progressive political scene. It is fashionable for hybrid vehicle critics to point out that lefty celebrities are the only ones to line up for the latest in green vehicle technology. The initial cost and limited availability of the FCX Clarity limits the number of people who can get their hands on new technology. Honda is in the business of selling cars and the sizzle of celebrity endorsements carries a lot of weight in the United States. The progress of the FCX Clarity over the next decade could be one litmus test for green technology development.
