2008 Honda FCX Review

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What We Know

The hydrogen-powered 2008 Honda FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle will enter the U.S. market on a limited basis in Southern California starting in summer 2008. "Full details of the lease program will be set closer to launch, but current plans call for a three-year lease term with a price of $600 per month, including maintenance and collision insurance," said American Honda. Striking a reassuring note, the automaker said it is developing a service infrastructure. "When the FCX Clarity requires periodic maintenance, customers will simply schedule a visit with their local Honda dealer," the company said. Honda will transport the vehicle to the service facility. Honda says its FCX Clarity achieves the approximate equivalent of 68 mpg combined fuel economy or about two to three times the fuel economy of a typical gas-powered car. Driving range is 270 miles. Honda continues to refine its fuel cell system and notes that the FCX Clarity has an advanced new lithium-ion battery pack that is 40 percent lighter and 50 percent smaller than the current-generation FCX's ultra-capacitor. The company said it has achieved a 45 percent reduction in the size of the fuel-cell powertrain to the point where it is almost equivalent to a gas-electric hybrid powertrain.

What Edmunds.com says

If the initial tests prove positive, the 2008 Honda FCX could turn into the first mass produced fuel-cell vehicle.