January 06 2010
Four-time Stanley Cup champion, Anaheim Ducks captain and environmentalist becomes first professional athlete to lease Honda's zero-emissions vehicle.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., delivered a zero emissions hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle today to its latest customer, 2010 Canadian Olympic hockey team captain, Scott Niedermayer. Also a team captain for the Anaheim Ducks National Hockey League team, Niedermayer is a leader both on and off the ice, promoting an environmentally responsible lifestyle and the protection of natural resources.
"My love for nature and the outdoors developed while growing up in Canada and I hope the generations after me get to experience nature as I have," said Scott Niedermayer. "Everyday actions, like driving the zero-emissions Honda FCX Clarity, will help to make this dream a reality."
Honda's FCX Clarity produces electricity onboard from hydrogen via Honda's innovative V Flow fuel cell stack with water vapor as its only emission. Significant advances include exhilarating performance, futuristic sedan packaging and a driving range of up to 240 miles*. FCX Clarity's fuel efficiency is three times that of a comparable, modern gasoline-powered automobile.
"The FCX Clarity demonstrates Honda's commitment to developing zero-emissions vehicles, and we believe that having drivers like Scott Niedermayer behind the wheel of a Honda FCX Clarity is a great way to reach out to a new audience of drivers," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. "We hope that Scott's example of driving the FCX Clarity will inspire fans and other athletes to consider more environmentally responsible products."
Niedermayer and his wife, Lisa, reside in Orange County, California, with their four sons. The family enjoys the outdoors together by camping and mountain biking. Their love of nature has inspired the family to seek a greener lifestyle that includes changes such as adding insulation around the family home and installing a radiant barrier on the roof to conserve energy. Niedermayer already carpools to games with his fellow teammates and promotes a recycling program around his team's dressing room.
Honda's advanced fuel cell electric vehicles have been tested and proven through a series of successful partnerships over the last seven years with various fleet users and retail customers. A small but growing network of hydrogen fuel stations in Southern California allow for vehicle refueling in about five minutes and offer a clean, domestic energy supply for transportation.
Honda has gained extensive experience from the deployment of several generations of its fuel cell electric vehicle technology with the ultimate goal of achieving the mass-market commercialization of zero-emissions fuel cell vehicles.
Daimler AG has announced that the second generation Smart fortwo electric drive will go into series production starting in 2012. The announcement was made during the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to the facility where the electric Smart cars will be built in Hambach, France.