[Fred]

The other night I was watchinig the History Channel and a very short commercial, about ten seconds or so in length got my attention ...

It was a Honda advertisement for their Fuel Cell car ... about ten seconds or so in length, hinting clearly that it was about to be available - very soon. The car in the advertisment looked like a red Civic ... any of you see it to?

Fred / Proud Owner of "The Silver Bullet"

 

[Waynetc]

Yup - It aired out here in Cleveland recently. Car looked Dark Red / Metallic Burgandy

 

[Fred]

For those of you who may be interested, there is now a Honda FCX web site ... one which gives all the details on the Honda FCX.

As I understand it, as it stands now the Honda Fule Cell powered car will be available in 2008 - leased only - starting on the West coast. The monthly lease is currently set as $600! To me this sounds a bit like GM's EV program - which as I understand it, did not at all go well for GM. However, if successful out on the West Coast, tthe FCX cars will become available to the balance of the US.

If, as experienced with this little Insight, if Honda does as good a job with the FCX as it did with the Insight, that FCX should prove to be a great little car and I for one wish Honda the best of luck with it.

Fred / Proud Owner of "The Silver Bullet"

 

[b1shmu63]

The 600 dollars includes insurance and maintenance.

Let me see......What would the insurance on a million dollar car be, and what does contaminated fuel cell stack mean on my OBDII scanner mean, and what do you mean I can't tow a boat, and have to look good with my wife and kids in a glossy advert?

Basically they are giving away the lease, but yes you have to be employed, earning some reasonable cash, and it might help if you are an oscar winner or have the right friends.

 

[Fred]

The 600 dollars includes insurance and maintenance.

Basically they are giving away the lease, but yes you have to be employed, earning some reasonable cash, and it might help if you are an oscar winner or have the right friends.

Didn't see where the monthly rent included the insurance and maintenance but if that's so, $600 a month then doesn't seem like too bad a deal.

There's no questioning that Honda is going to go after the publicity this time. The debacle with the Insight has probably taught management there a lesson or two - those of you who hadn't experienced it, in 2006 you would not believe just how badly Honda handled the advertising for the little Insight; something that had to be experienced to be believed.

But, be that as it may, I still wish Honda the very best with the FCX marketing as I suspect that they probably have something there - and it'll only get better as they and the public gain experience with it.

Fred / Proud Owner of "The Silver Bullet"

 

[flymuck]

I'd qualify to get one of these, most likely, even though I'm neither rich nor famous (steady income helps, especially here in SoCal!).

My big question though, since it only gets 270 miles on a tank... how much does it cost to fill it? Does the hydrogen fuel cost $10/gallon? This is something to consider, since the only benefit I would get out of driving the car is knowing that I'm driving a zero-emissions car (so, the "cool factor") and I'd be stopping for fuel almost 3 times more often!

 

[b1shmu63]

Was the Insight project a success? Honda only expected to sell 5,000 Insights a year and Insight features such as electric assist steering, integrated exhaust manifold and aerodynamic details are now standard in other Honda models. The Insight program has led to the development of the two new Honda hybrids that are about to be introduced.

The FCV technology that Honda is currently developing will at some future date be marketable and cost effective. The lease program is a means of doing real world testing and promoting Honda's green credentials.

Personally I love the looks of the new model and would like to see them make a hybrid version.

 

[Fred]

I
... since it only gets 270 miles on a tank
... how much does it cost to fill it?

About that range, I noted that the advertising on the FCX web page only shows a single H2 bottle in the trunk area - and there's easily room for a second of the same size. If the range with one of these is only 270, with two such bottles the range would I guess, essentially double and for me a car with a range in excess of 500 miles, that's satisfactory.

As for the cost of the h2, can't yet answer that one but since there is a bottled gas distributor near me, it'd be interesting to see what he's asking at present for the h2 which I'm sure he has.

... a five hundred mile range in essentially a whisper quiet car - that's not bad, not bad at all. Just hope it works out for those Honda folks.

Fred / Proud Owner of "The Silver Bullet"

 

[Fred]

Saw that advertising a few more times now on cable TV and I'd say without question Honda is very serious about introducing that Fuel Cell powered car very soon - but they're sure being "conservative" about it - almost too much so.

Fred / Proud Owner of "The Silver Bullet"

 

[ikhoudvanu199]

in case anyone else is looking for it, heres a link to the commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgnYEkAXobE