Honda Shows Hydrogen Is Here

It may not look high-tech enough for the Jetsons, but Honda’s new FCX Clarity is definitely worth all the buzz, New York Times auto critic Norman Mayersohn gushes. After test-driving the sedan, which runs on hydrogen fuel, Mayersohn said its greatest trick is its simplicity, which helps “convince drivers that the cars of our future aren’t so frightening after all.”

Next summer, Honda will begin leasing Clarity for $600 a month to select households in Southern California. Mayersohn says the lucky few can expect better travel ranges than plug-in hybrids and better fuel efficiency than battery-powered cars. “The Clarity lacked nothing except engine noise,” the critic notes, but warns the scarcity of hydrogen-fuel stations could put the brakes on the car’s rollout. (More Honda stories.)