"We finally have a compelling product that not only clears all of the previous technical hurdles like driving range, weight and packaging, but now delivers dynamic styling, four doors, great ride quality, and all this — at a retail level," commented Fukui.
Business owner Jon Spallino, one of the three specially selected initial customers — and who was the world's first fuel-cell car customer having leased the previous FCX — said today that "the new FCX is very stylish and no longer looks like a toaster. And it drives superbly. Also, for someone with kids like me, it has four doors now, and that makes a huge difference for everyday use." He will not be the first to take delivery, though. Film producer Ron Yerxa, was selected as top batter and will receive his car in July. Paying a leasing fee of $600 a month for the privilege, Spallino and the third recipient, actress Laura Harris, will pick up their Claritys in the next few months, according to Honda.
Over the next 12 months, several dozen units will be delivered to specially selected clients in Southern California — and in Japan — who have suitable ZIP codes, in close proximity to hydrogen refueling stations. "We want people from all walks of life to experience this vehicle, and give us the necessary feedback to further the fuel-cell cause," said Project Chief Engineer Sachito Fujimoto. Honda plans to build 200 Claritys over the next three years.
The Japanese company has been able to achieve this milestone in fuel-cell car production thanks to significant advances in the specialized technologies involved. With curb weight down to that of a current V6 Accord but sitting on a unique platform, the FCX Clarity is a hydrogen-powered technological tour de force. Engineers have increased driving range by 30 percent up to 280 miles, added 25 percent to the fuel economy reaching 74 mpg, have significantly downsized the fuel-cell stack but raised its power output by 50 percent, and have even recalibrated the electric motor — over the FCX prototype — to generate 8 percent more power, now delivering 134 hp. That propels the car from zero to 60 mph in around 8.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 100 mph.
Fukui says that he plans to bring a fuel-cell vehicle to mass production by 2016. If the technology keeps advancing at this rate and material and development costs can continue to come down — from the estimated $1 million per current FCX Clarity, "then we might be looking at a viable hydrogen-powered vehicle for the mass market at the price of a luxury car within eight to 10 years." And if current hydrogen station and dealer network developments are any indication, the infrastructure to support such vehicles would have kept pace, too.
參考譯文：
“我們終于有了一款引人注目的產(chǎn)品，不僅跨越了所有當(dāng)前的技術(shù)障礙比如行駛距離，重量和空間，而且提供了動(dòng)感的外形，四門和極高的乘坐品質(zhì)；所有的一切都可以零售?！?/SPAN>Fukui發(fā)表評(píng)論。
三位特別挑選出的首批客戶之一，也是世界上首輛燃料電池車客戶已經(jīng)租賃了當(dāng)前的FCX的企業(yè)所有人Jon Spallino今天說到：“新款FCX非常時(shí)尚且看上去不再像個(gè)烤面包機(jī)。它的駕駛性能很出色。并且對(duì)于像我這樣有孩子的人來說，現(xiàn)在的四門FCX在日常的使用中取得了巨大的改變?！辈贿^，他并不是首個(gè)提貨的客戶。電影制片人Ron Yerxa 被選為第一個(gè)提貨者，他將會(huì)在七月收到這款車。據(jù)本田的消息，Spallino 和第三個(gè)客戶，女演員 Laura Harris 為了得到這樣的殊榮支付了600美元每月的租賃費(fèi)，他們將在接下來的幾個(gè)月里面得到他們的車。
在未來12個(gè)月內(nèi)，幾十輛車將交付給特別選定的在南加州-以及日本-有合適的郵遞區(qū)號(hào)而且極接近氫加油站的客戶。 “我們希望各階層人士試駕這輛車，并給予我們必要的反饋以求進(jìn)一步加強(qiáng)燃料電池的部分”項(xiàng)目總工程師Sachito Fujimoto說到。本田計(jì)劃在未來三年內(nèi)制造出200輛。
日本公司由于在所涉及到的專門技術(shù)中取得了重大進(jìn)展，在燃料電池汽車生產(chǎn)上達(dá)到了一個(gè)里程碑。減重到目前的V6協(xié)議但是有一個(gè)獨(dú)特的平臺(tái)，FCX是一項(xiàng)氫氣動(dòng)力技術(shù)的力作。工程師們將行駛距離提高了30%到280公里，燃料節(jié)約了25%至74mpg，大大縮小了燃料電池堆但將它的輸出功率提高了50%，甚至宰FCX原型車基礎(chǔ)上重新校準(zhǔn)了電動(dòng)機(jī)以多產(chǎn)生了8%的動(dòng)力，目前可以提供134馬力。從0加速到60英里每小時(shí)只需要8.5秒左右，最高時(shí)速可達(dá)100英里每小時(shí)。
Fukui說：“他計(jì)劃到2016年將批量生產(chǎn)燃料電池汽車。如果技術(shù)能夠按照這樣的速度發(fā)展下去并且材料和開發(fā)成本從開始估計(jì)的1，000，000美元一輛FCX繼續(xù)降低，那么我們可能會(huì)在未來的8到10年內(nèi)看到一輛可行的價(jià)格相當(dāng)于一輛豪華轎車的大眾化的氫氣動(dòng)力汽車。目前的氫氣站和經(jīng)銷商的不斷發(fā)展表明，支持燃料電池車的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施也會(huì)跟上節(jié)奏不斷發(fā)展。
（轉(zhuǎn)載）
