Honda Announces FCX Clarity Business Plan and Commencement of Customer Selection Process

Honda plans to deliver about 200 FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles to customers in the first three years of production, with leases beginning in July, American Honda Motor announced today. The lease programme marks the world's first large-scale retail initiative for fuel cell vehicle technology, and Honda has begun the process of identifying customers from a group of over 50,000 individuals who have expressed interest in the FCX Clarity on the company's website.

Honda will announce its first customers when the first FCX Clarity rolls off the production line at a ceremony on June 16, 2008 in Japan, where Honda will also showcase the world's first dedicated fuel cell vehicle production facility. Additionally, Honda will announce further plans for involvement by Honda dealerships in the U.S., as well as future customer care and customer qualification initiatives.

Initially, the programme will be based on a 3-year lease term with a price of US$600 per month and will be targeted at consumers in Southern California.

Customer selection process

Honda expects to lease several dozen FCX Clarity models per year in the U.S. and Japan to reach the total of about 200 units in the first three years. Since its Tokyo concept debut, Honda has received requests from more than 50,000 individuals who have indicated their interest in receiving further updates about the vehicle and about being considered as future customers of Honda fuel cell technology. The company is now working to narrow the list through a four-step customer qualification process:

    -- Step 1 -- Based on respondents' residential location, the list of
       potential customers has been narrowed to approximately 500 people
       living in very close proximity to publicly-accessible hydrogen fueling
       stations, including planned or existing stations in Santa Monica,
       Torrance and Irvine.
    -- Step 2 -- Customers meeting the geographical criteria will receive an
       e-mail prompting them to take a customer selection survey if they are
       serious about wanting to lease an FCX Clarity.
    -- Step 3 - The survey will qualify customers based on driving patterns,
       vehicle needs, vehicle storage and financial criteria.
    -- Step 4 -- Customers qualify for the next steps, including an interview
       with American Honda.

About the FCX Clarity

The FCX Clarity is a next-generation, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle. Propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated in the fuel cell, its 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 to 270 miles(1)
    -- a 20 percent increase in fuel economy to 68mpg(2)
    -- a 48 percent increase in fuel cell stack power density
    -- a 40 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter new lithium-ion battery
       pack

Source: Fuel Cell Today