The very first Honda FCX fuel cell car has been delivered to it's very first owner, Ron Yerxa. Ron is best known as the producer of recent movies like Election, Cold Mountain, and Little Miss Sunshine. Sounds like a typical happy story about a Hollywood persona doing their part to set an example and save the environment in their own special way? Sorry, Hollywood. I'm all for alternate technology and doing what's right for the environment. I don't want my country to be dependent on foreign oil forever. But the point that everyone always seems to forget is that the electrical power for the fuel cell has to come from somewhere, right? Well, it comes from coal or natural gas burning power plants. You may feel all warm and fuzzy when you plug your eco car in at night, but think about all of the coal you're polluting the environment with. You may not live in a big city or anywhere near the power plant supplying your electricity, but it's still out there. For the record, the FCX emits nothing more than water vapor from it's happy little tailpipes. Originally introduced at the Tokyo auto show in 2005, it was one of the first concept vehicles to integrate an advanced fuel-cell power train into a traditional sedan setup. Sporting 136 horsepower and a 280 mile range, it's also the most practical such vehicle so far. Since it has not been extensively tested for road worthiness, the FCX is being leased to five lucky buyers in California. Three dealerships are currently certified to lease the car. Executive vice president of American Honda John Mendel calls the move a "key step" toward "the goal of broader commercialization" of fuel cell vehicles. Honda plans to eventually lease up to 200 of the FCX's to mostly Southern California residents in the near future. The FCX Clarity does boast a 74mpg rating, which is a 25 percent increase over the previous model, as well as 30 percent better range and a 40 percent smaller battery pack. The lease price is expected to be around $600 per month, which wouldn't exactly save you a lot of money on gas unless you're currently leasing a Lexus. I may be in the minority, but I just don't see much benefit from fuel cell cars. Look at it however you want to, but the energy has to come from somewhere. Whether it's direct pollution, or in this case upstream pollution. Until we start developing technologies that don't rely on coal, we're really not making any progress. Could it be that automotive companies are exploring this technology because it's an easy way to sell cars or meet CAFE fuel economy standards? Until we start figuring out ways to get clean energy from sources like solar, wind, or water, it's the same old song to me. Just with different lyrics.
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