Honda to begin leasing hydrogen-powered cars July 24, 2002 Posted: 07:30:10 PM PDT

TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) - Honda announced Wednesday it will begin leasing a four-passenger, hydrogen-powered car in California and Japan this fall, making it available to government and institutional users.

The FCX will likely become the first zero-emissions car available in California that is not powered by batteries that need recharging. There are no immediate plans to mass-market it to consumers.

The FCX - short for "fuel cell experimental" - is modeled on the EV Plus, a battery-powered car that the American Honda Motor Co. Inc. began leasing to consumers in 1997.

It carries 41 gallons of hydrogen, has a range of 220 miles and a top speed of 96 mph.

Honda spokesman Art Garner said it awaits federal safety certification, which the company expects to obtain in time to begin leasing 30 of the cars by the end of the year.

It has already been certified as zero emissions, meaning it meets strict anti-pollution requirements that take effect next year in California.

The standards require that an increasing percentage of new cars and light trucks sold in California must emit either zero or extremely low amounts of pollutants. The mandate starts at 10 percent in 2003 and gradually increases to 16 percent in 2018.

Virtually all major auto manufacturers are developing fuel-cell vehicles in order to meet the requirement.

"The Toyotas and Hondas and Fords and DaimlerChryslers and General Motors are right there on the edge, ready to bring the first batch of cars to the real world," said Joe Irvin, a spokesman for the California Fuel Cell Partnership, which is helping develop hydrogen-powered cars, including the Honda.

However, most of the companies - with the exception of Honda - have challenged the mandate in the courts.

"Honda has always stepped up and tried to meet the engineering obstacles with new technology," said Jerry Martin, a spokesman for the California Air Resources Board.

Fuel-cell vehicles rely on hydrogen, combined with oxygen from the atmosphere, to produce electricity, making them as quiet as those that rely on batteries for power. Water and heat are the only waste products.

In California, the car will likely be leased only in the Southern California and Sacramento areas, where a limited number of hydrogen refueling stations exist. Likewise in Japan, the cars will be available only in Tokyo.

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-- Anonymous, July 26, 2002

Answers

I find this very exciting. It would be so great if we didn't have to depend on the F Saudis (and if that sounds prejudiced, it's because it is.)

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2002

Y'ever think about that word "prejudice." Doesn't it suggest that it's a "pre-judgment"? But the so-called "bias" we have is based on the Saudis's long years of actions, i.e., we're exercising post- judgment. You never hear anybody say, "Your postjudiced," do ya?

Okay, okay, I'll go and have a second cup of coffee and wake up before I post again.

So I see the Saudis, sitting in their gold-leafed chairs in front of their gold-leafed chests and cabinets, perfectly set off by their hand-woven silk draperies and beautiful arrangements of out-of-season blooms, and saying, "Hydrogen? What is this shit?"

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002

I have been seriously considering purchasing the Honda Civic Hybrid. The one feature that is stopping me is the fact that it's smaller than the car I have now. I don't want a small car anymore.

The majority of vehicles that I have to share the road with can already run my car over without feeling much of a bump in the process. My saving grace is the fact that for some reason my car can go very fast and my ability to maneuver and think ahead is unparalled on the road.

This is probably due to my experience as a teenager in several accidents of various types, and my obsession at the time with cars and accidents.

If they came out with an Accord Hybrid, I would be more inclined.

Meanwhile, we are looking at Mazda trucks. A local dealer is advertising them at 11,990. there is no stock number listed in the ad like most have. When they do have a stock number, that means that the ad is for that one vehicle, and it is a stripped down version. "others at similar savings" is often included somewhere on the ad.

We would love to get something like the Ford F-150. Those are scaring things to be on the road with, aren't they? And the full size Dodge, with that huge grill, they remind of Peterbilt semis. Those Dodge Ram 1500's [I think that's what they are] have a console armrest on the front seat that is so big you can fit a laptop in it. And the seats are still big enough for sumo wrestlers to sit without having their hips hit the doors. LOL

Anyway, the cost is prohibitive for that size truck, as well as the fact that none of them will fit in our carport. I just can't stand the thought of one of those sitting in front of the living room window. That's where the driveway is, you see.

These FCX cars, if they aren't too small, might be the answer. too bad they aren't available to us yet.

Next year we have to get another car. The truck we have now is a leased vehicle and June 8, 2003 is the end of the lease.

[This post is much longer than I had planned.] LOL

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002

I went to hondacars.com and saw this. this looks promising....

If the images don't show, this is the new Element, by Honda. I hope they make it look a little more attractive...

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002

The FCX-V4

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002

We are on our third Accord. I LOVE Honda. But I don't want a teensy car.

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002

I like the Accord too. It would be the optimum[optimim?] size car for us. Not too small and not too big.

Still, with all those giant vehicles on the road it's small.

We've decided to consider a large used truck versus a large new one. If we can get it at the right price, that is...

Our basic wants are the extra cab, not necessarily four doors, power windows, cruise control, and automatic.

A/C is standard on all of them. Power windows come in a package that usually includes other items like door locks and keyless enty. The color is not too important, but we don't want red cuz it fades to hot pink and I am NOT driving a hot pink truck! this eliminates most of the Dodges, by the way. LOL

Pity Honda doesn't have a truck...

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002