On The Cover Review: 2010 Honda FCX Clarity

What is that, the new Accord?  Well, not exactly.  In spite of its relatively normal appearance, the FCX Clarity is a very technologically advanced hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.  And unlike the Accord, you can’t just run out and buy one at the local Honda store.  The FCX Clarity is more of an experiment than a real car.  A handful of people in the Los Angeles area were able to lease FCX Clarities for $600/month to see how they work in the real world—a pittance when you figure that each car cost upwards of seven figures to put on the road.  There are a few hydrogen refueling stations in southern California, which is why the test is there.  And just like that, we’ve revealed one of the drawbacks to hydrogen technology.  We have a nation that has been building and perfecting gasoline stations for some 100-years.  Changing the infrastructure to support hydrogen vehicles, as well as support the millions of gasoline-powered cars and trucks on the road, would be a monumental task.  Even Honda predicts this technology wouldn’t be available to the masses until around 2020.  So until then, the FCX Clarity is a concept car that is being tried out on the road.  It may or may not be the answer to eliminating our dependence on gasoline, but right now, it is way too early to tell.