Honda Announces First FCX Clarity Customers and World's First Fuel Cell Vehicle Dealership...

Honda Announces First FCX Clarity Customers and World's First Fuel Cell
Vehicle Dealership Network as Clarity Production Begins in Japan
Breakthrough zero emissions vehicle to be delivered in July

TOCHIGI, Japan, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- American Honda Motor Co., Inc.,
today announced five of the first customers for its advanced new FCX Clarity
hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle and also provided details of the world's
first fuel cell vehicle dealership network in the United States. The
announcements were made during a ceremony for the start of FCX Clarity
production at the world's first dedicated fuel cell vehicle manufacturing
facility in Japan.
Film producer Ron Yerxa will take delivery of the first FCX Clarity in
July. 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.
To provide its customers with outstanding sales and service support and as
a critical step in advancing fuel cell vehicles in the real world, American
Honda announced the establishment of the first network of dealers to
facilitate the sales and service of fuel cell vehicles. The three Southern
California Honda dealers are Power Honda Costa Mesa (Costa Mesa), Honda of
Santa Monica (Santa Monica) and Scott Robinson Honda (Torrance).
"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," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda.
"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."
FCX Clarity Customers
The five customers announced today were among the very first people to
share with Honda their passion for the environment and interest in the FCX
Clarity, dating back to its debut as a concept model at the 2005 Tokyo Motor
Show. The initial criteria for fuel cell vehicle ownership, including
proximity to hydrogen refueling stations, driving patterns and vehicle needs,
all played a part in Honda's customer selection process.
"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.
Ron Yerxa, a film producer and partner at Bona Fide Productions, is a
long-time car enthusiast and advocate for the environment. He lives with his
wife, Annette Ballester, in Santa Monica, California. Yerxa first learned of
the FCX Concept vehicle from a car magazine and contacted American Honda to
share his interest and enthusiasm.
Jon Spallino, partner and Chief Financial Officer of an Irvine,
California-based engineering and construction firm and the world's first
retail customer of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle, is excited to trade
in his first-generation FCX for the all-new FCX Clarity. Having lived with
fuel cell technology for three years now, Spallino and his family, residents
of Redondo Beach, California, are looking forward to the all-new vehicle's
vastly improved performance, enhanced features, improved fuel efficiency, and
advanced four-door, four-passenger sedan design.
Actress and children's book author Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband,
filmmaker Christopher Guest, also live with their family in Santa Monica.
Curtis and Guest have owned other alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles, and
they continue to seek out ways to live and advocate a greener lifestyle.
Jim Salomon, a business owner and car enthusiast, resides in Newport
Beach, California with his family and will be American Honda's first retail
customer to regularly refuel at the recently renovated Irvine hydrogen
refueling station. Salomon and his family live in a home he designed and built
with an emphasis on energy efficiency as well as recycled and sustainable
materials.
Actress and green advocate Laura Harris learned about the FCX Clarity from
a friend and test drove a prototype car at the Los Angeles auto show in
November 2007. Canadian-born Harris lives in Silverlake, California, and will
refuel primarily in Burbank. Lessons learned from her usage patterns and
experiences can help pave the way for eventual market expansion outside of the
Irvine, Torrance, and Santa Monica areas.
Honda previously announced plans to deliver about 200 FCX Clarity hydrogen
fuel cell-powered vehicles in the U.S. and Japan to customers in the first
three years of production, with leases beginning in July. The lease program
marks the world's first large-scale retail initiative for fuel cell vehicle
technology.
First-ever Fuel Cell Vehicle Dealership Network
Reinforcing its commitment to further advance Honda fuel cell technology,
American Honda announced that three Southern California dealerships will
comprise the world's first fuel cell automobile dealership network. Power
Honda Costa Mesa, Honda of Santa Monica and Scott Robinson Honda are each
located in close proximity to hydrogen refueling stations and will be
well-positioned to support Honda's growing base of FCX Clarity customers.
American Honda is working with its dealer partners to implement processes
for fuel cell vehicle lease, delivery and service support for the duration of
their leases. Establishing a dedicated sales network and service
infrastructure provides customers with the best balance of convenience and the
highest quality of service. When the FCX Clarity requires periodic
maintenance, customers will simply schedule a visit with their local FCX
Clarity dealer.
American Honda will perform all required work at its specialized fuel cell
service facility, in the greater Los Angeles area. Upon completion of the
work, the dealer will return the vehicle to the customer.
About the FCX Clarity
The FCX Clarity is a next-generation, hydrogen powered fuel cell-powered
vehicle. Propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated in
the fuel cell, the vehicle's 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 up to 280 miles(1)
-- a 25 percent increase in combined fuel economy to 72 miles/kg-H2(1)
(74 mpg GGE )
-- a 50 percent improvement in fuel stack power output density by volume
-- 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 (Honda FCX) to be certified for regular commercial use by the U.S. EPA and
California Air Resources Board; the first deployment of a fuel cell car with a
fleet customer; and the first individual retail customer for a fuel cell
vehicle.
(1) Based on official 2008 EPA estimated range and fuel efficiency values
SOURCE American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

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