Tokyo, February 13, 2001 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd., today announced the start of public road testing of a new version of its FCX-V3 fuel cell vehicle, equipped with fuel cell stacks developed by Honda. Honda, which is participating in the California Fuel Cell Partnership program (CaFCP), first began public road testing last November when the program started.

Earlier FCX versions were powered by fuel cells developed by Ballard Power Systems, Inc., including the FCX-V1 introduced in 1999 and an earlier version of the FCX-V3 introduced last November. This latest version is the result of Honda research into improving the performance and reliability of its own fuel stack, so as to achieve the level required for public road testing. The tests in California will help verify the market feasibility of Honda's fuel cell technology.

The FCX-V3 with Honda FC Stack can seat up to four persons and features the startup performance and quiet operation of the FCX-V3. It is also equipped with an ultra-capacitor, which contributes to improved start-up speed and acceleration performance, as well as highly efficient energy management. As before, the vehicle is fueled by hydrogen stored under high pressure.

The California Fuel Cell Partnership is a joint-participation project that includes the California Air Resources Board (CARB), private petroleum companies, auto manufacturers and fuel cell stack manufacturers. The objective of the project is to study and verify future prospects, requirements for infrastructure, mass production issues, and other aspects related to the eventual introduction and promotion of fuel cell vehicles. Honda is in fundamental agreement with the future-oriented goals and approaches being undertaken by CaFCP, which is why the company has conducted driving tests based in Sacramento, California, since the start of CaFCP last November.

* Click here to see the image enlarged.