Honda FCX Clarity Takes Green Motoring Up to 11
Honda delivered its first batch of its FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell cars to their new owners today, including rumored hermaphrodite Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband, Spinal Tap guitarist Christopher Guest.
Unveiled at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, the FCX Clarity is the first hydrogen-powered car to hit the streets. Honda screened potential owners who were lucky enough live near hydrogen filling stations (ie, SoCal), could afford the $600 per month lease, and could give the project the right does of publicity.
The FCX Clarity is to the original Honda FCX what the Toyota Prius is to the Honda Insight. The original FCX and two-seater Insight came first, but were far too small and impractical to be considered by all but the most ardent eco-minded customers. It took a sedan, albeit a compact one, to make the case for buying hybrid to the average consumer.
The FCX Clarity even looks a bit Prius-y, but is actually much larger in person. It seems like the next evolutionary step for the green car, even though it comes only in a shade of maroon completely unbefitting of a car that seeks to generate excitement. Only time will tell if Honda’s new pet project end up as a Darwinian dead end or the Lucy of the car of the future.
[Honda]