A Los Angeles-area family signed a lease on an experimental 2005 Honda FCX fuel-cell vehicle, becoming the first consumers in the country to use a hydrogen-powered vehicle on a daily basis.
American Honda Motor made the announcement of the historic event Wednesday. John Mendel, senior vice president of automotive operations for American Honda, said the ultimate goal of the high-profile event was to achieve "large-scale commercialization of fuel-cell vehicles.
"The Spallinos^ experience with the FCX will provide Honda engineers with real-world driving experience and feedback by an individual family, which will be invaluable as we design future models," Mendel said.
Jon and Sandy Spallino of Redondo Beach signed an agreement to lease the FCX for two years. They will use it for work commutes, school carpooling for their children, shopping and household errands. They will become part of a small group of individuals to use the first of California^s Hydrogen Highway refueling stations, Honda said.
The Japanese automaker said the Spallinos will be the first of several families to lease FCXs over the next year.
The FCX, which is powered by a fuel-cell stack, has an EPA rating of 62 miles per gallon in city driving and 51 miles per gallon on the highway. The zero-emissions vehicle has a range of 190 miles.
