American Honda today announced the lease of two Honda FCX fuel cell (FC) vehicles to the city of Las Vegas. The announcement was made in a ceremony held today with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman. The city of Las Vegas will lease the FC vehicles for a period of two years at a cost of $500 per vehicle per month. The vehicles will operate on a regular daily basis as part of their normal fleet operations. The FCX fuel cell vehicles will be refueled at a city-owned and operated hydrogen station. The two Honda FC vehicles are the only fuel cell powered vehicles in service in the state of Nevada, increasing Honda's total number of vehicles operating in the United States to 14.
"We're thrilled to have the city of Las Vegas as a new customer for the Honda FCX," said Dan Bonawitz, vice president of Corporate Planning and Logistics for American Honda. "Whether it is the sunny skies of southern California, the freezing winters of the northeast or the extreme temperatures of the Nevada desert, Honda is committed to expanding its technology and real world experience."
"Innovation is what the city of Las Vegas has demonstrated for years," added Mayor Goodman. "Consistent with that vision is the deployment of these state-of-the-art, pollution-free Honda fuel cell vehicles. With being the first city in Nevada to test these vehicles and building the world's first hydrogen energy station in 2002, we are at the forefront in pursuing innovative technology that will help keep our environment clean."
The Honda FCX is the world's first and only fuel cell vehicle to be certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB), and is the only fuel cell vehicle in regular daily operation with multiple customers in the U.S. and Japan. CARB has certified the FCX as a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV). In addition, the Honda FCX is also the only fuel cell vehicle to appear in the 2003 and 2004 EPA Fuel Economy Guide.
With the addition of the city of Las Vegas, Honda has a total of 14 FCX vehicles in regular daily use with six customers in three states, including the only fuel cell vehicle in daily use in a hot desert climate and in the sub-freezing temperatures of the Northeastern U.S. In 2004, the city of San Francisco leased two cars, joining the city of Los Angeles (five vehicles), the South Coast Air Quality Management District (two vehicles), city of Chula Vista (one vehicle) and the State of New York (two vehicles) as FCX customers. Additionally, the city of Los Angeles celebrated its two year anniversary as Honda's first ever fuel cell customer in the United States on December 2, 2004.
Honda undertook fuel cell research in 1989 and has been road testing vehicles in the United States since 1999. Honda has also been a member of the California Fuel Cell Partnership based in Sacramento, Calif., since 1999.
Honda also leads the automobile industry in the development of cleaner and more efficient gasoline-powered vehicles, including gas-electric hybrid technology. This includes the introduction of America's first hybrid vehicle, the Honda Insight, in December 1999, and the first truly mainstream hybrid vehicle, the Civic Hybrid, in March 2002. This December, Honda placed its Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid technology in its best-selling vehicle, the Accord, boasting V-6 performance with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder, compact class Civic.
Honda Fuel Cell Technology Milestones
2004
- Honda begins experimental operation of the second generation Home Energy Station II. (HESII)
- The 2005 FCX, Honda's second generation FCV, is certified by CARB as a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) and by the EPA as a Tier-2 Bin 1 (ZEV).
- New York State takes delivery of two Honda FC stack equipped FCX vehicles.
- The city of Chula Vista takes delivery of one FCX vehicle.
- South Coast Air Quality Management District takes delivery of two FCX vehicles.
- The city of San Francisco takes delivery of two FCX vehicles.
- Honda FC Stack is publicly demonstrated in Japan in below freezing conditions.
2003
- Honda develops breakthrough fuel cell stack (Honda FC Stack) that starts and operates at temperatures below freezing while improving fuel economy, range and performancewith reduced complexity and potential for reduced cost.
- The city of Los Angeles takes delivery of three more FCX vehicles.
- Honda showcases fuel cell technology at 2003 Challenge Bibendum.
- Honda begins experiments with hydrogen Home Energy Station (HES) and improves solar cell technology for production of hydrogen.
2002
- The city of Los Angeles begins a lease program with two Honda FCX vehicles, the world's first commercial application of a fuel cell vehicle.
- The 2003 model year Honda FCX becomes the first and only hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle to receive both EPA and CARB certification for commercial use.
2001
- The first solar powered hydrogen production and fueling station built and operated by an auto company opens in Southern California at Honda R&D Americas headquarters in Torrance, California, as part of Honda's fuel cell technology and infrastructure development efforts.
- Fuel cell prototype vehicle FCX-V4 is introduced.
2000
- Honda introduces and demonstrates fuel cell prototype vehicle FCX-V3 at the California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento, California.
1999
- Honda Introduces fuel cell prototype vehicles FCX-V1 and FCX-V2.
