Talks About Cars

Five of the first customers for its highly developed new FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle was announced by the American Honda Motor Co., Inc. yesterday and also presented details of the world's pioneering fuel cell vehicle dealership network in the United States.

According to the Auto Channel, film producer Ron Yerxa will receive delivery of the first FCX Clarity in next month. The remaining four early adopters for Honda's next-generation fuel cell vehicle are author and actress Jamie Lee Curtis and her filmmaker husband Christopher Guest; business owner and car enthusiast Jim Salomon; actress Laura Harris; and Jon Spallino, already the world's first retail fuel cell vehicle customer, who has been leasing the current generation FCX since 2005. Yerxa, Harris and Spallino attended the event in Japan.

American Honda announced the organization of the first association of dealers to aid the sales and service of fuel cell vehicles to provide its customers with exceptional sales and service support and as a significant pace in advancing fuel cell vehicles in the real world.

"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. 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," says John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda.

"Auto companies can't explore the potential for fuel cell technology as the ultimate solution to our world's energy and environmental challenges by ourselves. Our customers are true pioneers and leaders in the effort to bring fuel cell technology to the marketplace," said Mendel.