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Just wanted to do a quick follow up on the post from yesterday about Honda’s alternative energy vehicle that might just be the answer to helping resuscitate not only the auto industry, but the failing planet as well.

Instead of summarizing, for something this monumental, I thought it’d be best if you heard it from the mouth of the actual company.  I found their official press release, and they say it a heck of a lot better, and a heck of a lot more official than I ever could.  Scroll down for the full press release:

Production Begins for the New FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Vehicle
– A number of the new production processes showcased for the first time –

TOKYO, Japan, June 16, 2008– Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that it has begun production of the new FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, with the first vehicle (U.S. specification) coming off the line. In conjunction with the line-off event, media were allowed to view a number of the new production processes.

The FCX Clarity is produced at the Honda Automobile New Model Center (Takanezawa-machi, Shioya-gun, Tochigi Prefecture). A new dedicated fuel cell vehicle assembly line was established, which includes processes unique to a fuel cell vehicle such as the installation of the fuel cell stack and hydrogen tank. The fuel cell stack itself is produced at Honda Engineering Co., Ltd. (Haga-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi Prefecture). In manufacturing fuel cells, exclusively designed automated equipment was introduced to ensure quality of the highest precision while enabling mass production of cells, with several hundred cells required for each fuel cell stack. Through these initiatives, Honda is making steady progress in the area of fuel cell vehicle production, in addition to fuel cell and fuel cell vehicle technologies, thereby moving closer to realizing its goal to achieve more widespread use of fuel cell vehicles.

The FCX Clarity was designed from scratch as a dedicated fuel cell vehicle. It is powered by the highly compact, efficient and powerful Honda V Flow fuel cell stack. Boasting a low-slung, dynamic and sophisticated appearance made possible by the innovative layout of the fuel cell power plant, the FCX Clarity offers superior design and driving performance as well as environmental responsibility. Lease sales are scheduled to begin in July in the U.S. and this fall in Japan. The combined sales plan for Japan and the U.S. calls for a few dozen units within a year and about 200 units within three years. Additionally, the FCX Clarity will be exhibited at the Environmental Showcase in the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit to begin July 7, as one of a group of advanced environmental technologies.

Look out world, Honda is getting ready to revolutionize the auto industry.  Keep your fingers crossed that when this happens, not only will other companies follow suit, but the planet will benefit just as much as all the rest of our pocketbooks.  Every finger and toe on my body is crossed, how about you?

Apparently the rising, and rising, and rising even further, fuel prices have led Honda to re-think their ideas on alternative energy vehicles, and as such, they have started producing a car that runs on the Honda’s FCX Clarity fuel cell.  While it’s only being made in Japan right now, I have full confidence that it will make its way stateside before too long, and it’s about time.

Rumor has it that GM is about to be on board with a recent mass-order of lithium ion batteries.  Word on my block is that celebrities are going to have first crack at these (which is ludicris) and then eventually the trickle down will occur and we’ll all be riding cheap.

Keep your ears open and stay tuned, I’ll track this one for us.