Honda Windward

   
Canadian actress Laura Harris reacts during an interview by reporters about the new FCX Clarity at a Honda Motor Co. plant in Takanezawa, Tochigi prefecture (state) Monday, June 16, 2008. The Japanese automaker has begun commercial production of its new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car, called the FCX Clarity. (AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara)
TAKANEZAWA, Japan - Honda's new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to Southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring.
The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.
Japan's third biggest automaker expects to lease out a "few dozen" units this year and about 200 units within three years. In California, a three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.
Among the first customers are actress Jamie Lee Curtis and filmmaker husband Christopher Guest, actress Laura Harris, film producer Ron Yerxa, as well as businessmen Jon Spallino and Jim Salomon.
"It's so smooth," said Harris, who played villainness Marie Warner on the hit TV show "24" and was flown over by Honda for the ceremony. "It's like a future machine, but it's not."
The FCX Clarity is an improvement of its previous-generation fuel cell vehicle, the FCX, introduced in 2005.
A breakthrough in the design of the fuel cell stack, which is the unit that powers the car's motor, allowed engineers to lighten the body, expand the interior and increase efficiency, Honda said.
The fuel cell draws on energy synthesized through a chemical reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen in the air, and a lithium-ion battery pack provides supplemental power. The FCX Clarity has a range of about 270-miles per tank with hydrogen consumption equivalent to 74 miles per gallon, according to the carmaker.
The 3,600-pound vehicle can reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour.
John Mendel, executive vice president of America Honda Motor Co., said at a morning ceremony it was "an especially significant day for American Honda as we plant firm footsteps toward the mainstreaming of fuel cell cars."
The biggest obstacles standing in the way of wider adoption of fuel cell vehicles are cost and the dearth of hydrogen fuel stations. For the Clarity's release in California, Honda said it received 50,000 applications through its website but could only consider those living near stations in Torrance, Santa Monica and Irvine.
Initially, however, the Clarity will go only to a chosen few starting July and then launch in Japan this fall.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for a statewide network of hydrogen stations, but progress has been slow.
The state has also recently relaxed a mandate for the number of zero-emission cars it aims to have on roads. By 2014, automakers must now sell 7,500 electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, a reduction of 70 percent.
Spallino, who currently drives Honda's older FCX and was also flown in for the ceremony, said he will use the Clarity to drive to and from work and for destinations within the Los Angeles area. The small number of hydrogen fuel stations is the "single limiting factor" for fuel cell vehicles, he said.
"It's more comfortable, and it handles well," said Spallino of Redondo Beach. "It's got everything. You're not sacrificing anything except range."
The world's major automakers have been making heavy investments in fuel cells and other alternative fuel vehicles amid climbing oil prices and concerns about climate change.
Although Honda Motor Co. was the first Japanese automaker to launch a gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the U.S. in 1999, it has been outpaced by the dominance of Toyota's popular Prius.
Toyota announced in May that it has sold more than 1 million Prius hybrids, while both the Honda Insight and the hybrid Accord have been discontinued due to poor sales.
Honda also plans to launch a gas-electric hybrid-only model, as well as hybrid versions of the Civic, the sporty CR-Z and Fit subcompact.
Toyota has announced that it would launch a plug-in hybrid with next-generation lithium-ion batteries by 2010 and a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle later in Japan later this year.
U.S. carmaker General Motors Corp. plans to introduce a Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric vehicle in 2010. It also introduced a test-fleet of hydrogen fuel cell Equinox SUVs.
Honda has no plans for a plug-in electric vehicle. President Takeo Fukui said he does not believe current battery technology is good enough to develop a feasible car.
The company has not revealed how much each car costs to make, and it is unclear when, or if, the car will be available for mass-market sales. Takeo has set a target for 2018, but meeting that goal will depend on whether Honda can significantly lower development and assembly costs as well as market reaction to fuel cells.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Honda Motor Co. Chief Executive Takeo Fukui, who has led the company for five years, is charting Honda Motor's efforts to be the greenest of the world's auto makers. As soaring gasoline prices boost demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles, Honda and Toyota are battling to define the next generation of automobiles with a blitz of eco-friendly vehicle launches, new technologies, and campaigns to show off their green credentials. Today at a ceremony in Japan, Fukui rolled out a new hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity, one of the world's most-advanced green vehicles, which Honda hopes will bring fuel-cell technology into the mainstream. By 2010, Honda aims to deliver about 200 of these vehicles, making it the largest effort to market fuel-cell vehicles to date. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Fukui says Honda has no intention of waiting around for infrastructure to catch up to Honda's hydrogen-car plans. Mr. Fukui also plans to launch a new gas-electric hybrid car in the U.S., Japan, and Europe early next year, one of four hybrid models Honda will unveil by 2015.

Honda's Mugen line of factory-installed performance products is more than well-known to Honda enthusiasts in
North America, but cars equipped with Mugen goodies haven't been sold here until now. Starting later this month,
Honda will sell the track-tested Mugen Civic Si.



The Mugen model differs in that it sits 0.6 inches lower to the ground on a tightened up suspension, has unique





The Mugen models will be available exclusively in Fiji Blue Pearl. Inside, a Mugen Limited Edition badge and an

exclusive gear knob will separate it from other Civic Si models.

Underhood, the Mugen is identical to other Civic Si models. The Mugen will be limited to 1,000 examples and will be

priced from $29,500, not including taxes and destination charge.

It’s true. The Honda Accord has racked up 21 years on the Car and Driver 10-Best list. For 2007, the entire Accord line-up received the accolades for being “top-of-the-charts in fit and finish, ergonomics, road manners, reliability and resale value.”

The 2007 Honda Accord is a mid-size car available in three models—coupe, sedan or hybrid and five trim levels that scale up in features and price. The base 2007 Honda Accord Sedan features a 166-hp, 2.4-liter i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. The MSRP scale begins at $18,625 for the Honda Accord Sedan with Value Package and ends with the Honda Accord Hybrid at a starting MSRP of $31,000.

You will find some mid-size passenger cars that are faster than the Accord. There are certainly makes that exude a bit more prestige. There are competitors that may have a sportier presence than the Accord. However, when it comes to an overall, all-around assessment of mid-size coupes or sedans, the Honda Accord is likely to be the pick of the pack. Entry-level buyers find Accords to be well equipped. Upscale buyers go for optioned-up models with full leather interior, moon roof and high-tech navigation in the dash. Power-oriented drivers find their fix in the Accord V-6. This is one car that, seemingly, can be all things to all drivers.

Most Honda Accords come one of two ways: 2.4-liter inline four-equipped economy cars or 3.0-liter, V6-equipped luxury cars—either 2-door coupe or 4-door sedan. Four-cylinder engines are available with a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission that routes power to the front wheels, while V6 models feature either the automatic or a six-speed manual. There's also a special gasoline-electric hybrid model, the Accord Hybrid, with a combination V6-electric motor power train. This provides the best power and acceleration figures of the Accord lineup along with fuel economy equal to that of the four-cylinder Accord.

In making the Honda Accord a perennial 10-Best winner, Car and Driver editors have praised the car's stylish and user-friendly interior design, smooth ride, excellent build and materials quality, and straightforward pricing. In 2006, the Accord received a fresh restyling and a boost in power for both the 4 and 6-cylinder engines. A new grille and front/rear bumpers, deck lid and taillights update the look. Inside, there’s a redesigned instrument panel, steering wheel, and new fabrics for the seats, which have received rave reviews in all Accord models.

All Accords are easy to live with. Both engines run on regular gasoline, and the Maintenance Minder™ system monitors how you drive–and reminds you when it's time for service. What’s more, the Accord is a clean car. Four-cylinder models are rated LEV-2 Low Emissions Vehicles. The LX and EX 4-cylinder automatic sedans are rated as “Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles”, meaning almost zero evaporative emissions! And, the Accord Hybrid combines exceptional fuel economy with performance. In fact, the Hybrid beats the regular V6 sedan from 0 to 60 miles an hour and gets better gas mileage (28/35 vs. 20/29 mpg for the sedan).

It’s no wonder the Honda Accord is one of the nation’s best selling vehicles. For 2007, the Honda Accord continues to be a nearly unbeatable combination of value, performance, comfort and economy.