In San Diego County, the city of Chula Vista is leasing a Honda FCX hydrogen car for $500 per month. And, nobody wants to drive it.
According to Claire Gomez, a fiscal office specialist for the city, “I try not to drive it just because of the price. I don’t want to be the one to crash it.” This is the common sentiment among the city workers.
From the intern to the major, everyone who is eligible can sign out the Honda FCX. So far, only one brave intern has decided to take the car for a test drive.
I remember when I test drove a hydrogen car a few months back, I had the exact same thoughts. I didn’t want to be the one on the 6 O’clock news that crashed the first hydrogen car. It would go down as one of those events in your life story that you just can’t erase.
But, at the same time I was thrilled to drive a hydrogen car. It was faster, peppier and quieter than I had thought it would be. Plus, how often does one usually get in one’s lifetime to drive a $1 million car (or $3 – $4 million in my case)?
So, my advice to the city workers of Chula Vista is to embrace the fear and do it anyways. Instead of “that person who crashed the hydrogen car”, you can also be known as “that person who drives a hydrogen car.” And, how cool is that?