The Spallino family of Los Angeles has been driving the $1 million Honda FCX fuel cell vehicle for one year, with another year to go on their "lease." [Obviously, the family isn't paying full price.]
The Spallino's use the FCX for everyday activities, having logged several thousand miles, largely on trips to the supermarket, soccer practices and long work commutes. Twelve months since the beginning of the lease, the FCX has met the driving needs of the family, while providing valuable, real-world feedback to Honda on the expectations and requirements needed for the technology to move forward. Acting as impromptu fuel cell vehicle educators, the family is no stranger to being stopped by the public asking about their experiences or to ask for a ride in the car of the future.
"I am surprised at the amount of attention and rubbernecking received while driving the FCX," said Jon Spallino, the first individual fuel cell vehicle retail customer in the world. "Despite being a developing technology, we have not suffered from any reliability issues and the car has all the comforts and conveniences we need."
"The lease of the Honda FCX to the Spallino family demonstrates the real-world viability of fuel cell vehicle technology and its ability to meet the needs of a family on an ongoing basis," said Gunnar Lindstrom, senior manager of Alternative Fuels Sales and Marketing. "Honda will continue to evolve and refine hydrogen vehicle technology based on feedback from real world customers, and we'll see that expressed in future models"
The Spallino family, living in the Los Angeles area, is the first to begin utilizing California's first hydrogen stations that are part of a planned statewide network of refueling stations know as the "Hydrogen Highway". Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made the commitment to build the Hydrogen Highway in April 2005, creating a public and private partnership to build California's Hydrogen Highway by 2010.