LOS ANGELES, U.S.A., March 7, 2007 – American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced that it will further advance its real world fuel cell vehicle program by handing the keys to its next retail customer, 17-year-old Q’orianka Kilcher, who earned praise as the young star of the 2005 film “The New World.”

As the ultimate expression of Honda’s technological and environmental leadership, the zero-emissions Honda FCX is not simply a car of the future, but a real world vehicle on the road today that has met all applicable federal safety standards. A hydrogen-powered vehicle with zero emissions, the FCX represents one of the most important transportation solutions and the ultimate in clean mobility for the future.

“The best way to demonstrate the importance of next generation vehicles like the Honda FCX is to put the next generation of drivers behind the wheel,” said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda. "Q’orianka Kilcher will be driving around Hollywood in the ultimate environmental status symbol, literally and figuratively driving the change toward a hydrogen future.”

 “As a young person today, I feel it is important to take initiative toward seeking positive solutions and stepping up the quest toward clean energy and environmental preservation,” said Q’orianka Kilcher. “When I first started pursuing my dream of a zero emissions vehicle as my first car, it seemed like a pretty unrealistic dream. With Honda’s innovation and support, my dream of helping the environment became a reality!"

Honda’s advanced fuel cell technology program has been proven and tested through a successful fleet sales partnership over the last five years, including nearly two years with the Spallino family, the world’s first fuel cell family. Honda has learned extensively from these experiences and plans to use these experiences toward the ultimate goal of achieving the mass market commercialization of fuel cell vehicles.

The FCX is powered by Honda's originally developed fuel cell stack (Honda FC Stack) with the breakthrough capability to start and operate in freezing temperatures as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit, along with increased performance, range and fuel efficiency compared with earlier models.

The hydrogen-powered Honda FCX is the only fuel cell vehicle certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and U.S. EPA for everyday commercial use. CARB and EPA have also certified the FCX as a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) and the EPA has confirmed a range of 210 miles. With seating for four people, the FCX is practical for a wide range of real-world applications, placing over 20 vehicles on the road in the hands of customers, including the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chula Vista, Las Vegas, the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the State of New York. Additionally, the Honda FCX is the only fuel cell vehicle fully certified to meet the applicable federal government crash safety standards. Honda undertook fuel cell research in 1989 and has been road testing vehicles in the United States since 1999. Honda has also been a member of the California Fuel Cell Partnership based in Sacramento, Calif., since 1999.