TORRANCE, Calif, U.S.A., March 5, 2004 – The Honda FCX fuel cell vehicle will act as this year's pace car for the 19th annual L.A. Marathon. The FCX, outfitted with the official L.A. Marathon logo and the city of Los Angeles seal, will lead the Marathon's estimated 23,000 runners through the 26.2-mile course. This will be the fourth consecutive year the FCX has served as the official pace car of the marathon.

"Our commitment to the L.A. Marathon and its participants reflects our dedication to the environment and this event," said Tom Elliott, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "We are thrilled once again to have the zero emissions Honda FCX lead the runners through the streets of Los Angeles.

The FCX releases absolutely no harmful emissions into the atmosphere because the only exhaust discharged from the vehicle is water vapor. The Honda FCX is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell that produces electricity onboard the vehicle. A fuel cell combines hydrogen (stored in a tank) with oxygen in the air to produce electricity, which in turn produces the water vapor.

In December 2002, the city of Los Angeles took delivery of the first of five Honda FCXs, which city officials now use as part of their regular daily business. The Honda FCX is the first fuel cell vehicle to be certified for regular commercial use by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). CARB has also certified the FCX as a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV), and as a Tier-2 Bin 1, National Low Emission Vehicle (NLEV).

With an output of up to 80 horsepower and 201 foot-pounds of torque, acceleration of the FCX is similar to that of a Honda Civic. The FCX has a range of up to 160 miles and seating for four people, making it practical for a wide range of real-world applications.