Ron Yerxa and wife, Annette Ballester are the first drivers to get the keys for the long-awaited Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle. The California couple took delivery of their lease vehicle from Sales Manager Dan Rowand of Honda of Santa Monica on Friday, July 25, 2008.
Up to 200 customers over the next three years, in the U. S. and Japan, will be getting behind the wheel in a lease deal costing $600 per month. One of the stars who will be driving around Hollywood Boulevard and attending red carpet ceremonies in the FCX Clarity include the lovely Jamie Lee Curtis.
Ron Yerxa who produced Little Miss Sunshine among many other movies, is starring in his own little Hollywood drama as a leading advocate for fuel cell vehicles. There are also two other dealerships in Southern California which will be leasing the FCX Clarity’s and performing maintenance, for other budding stars, which include Power Honda Costa Mesa and Scott Robinson Honda of Torrance.
So, the ribbon has officially been cut, the flag raised, the starting gun sounded. Honda has thrown down the gauntlet not only to the other hydrogen car manufacturers but to the U. S. government, the state government and energy companies as well. Honda is in effect saying, “Okay, we’re rolling out the fuel cell cars, so where are all the fueling stations?”