YayCheer

Doesn't this seem like the most retarded thing we can do? The Automaker looses their shirt by leasing at a loss. We still pay $600 +tax to lease it and all the while the thing is running indirectly on natural gas +20% lost in the conversion process dragging down the milage. I wouldn't be supprised if the equipment that produces the hydrogen is allowed to spew massive amounts of emmissions in the process as well.

Why not just run the thing on natural gas in the first place? I think it just might be the technology of the very distant past that we've been waiting for all this time.

boohiss

cgarison

FWIW, the GranMa is paid for. I can afford gas! And life without a tax credit.

cgarison

Like I said, just having the technology does not make it ready for public consumption. There is essentially NO hyrdrogen infrastructure. Further, the cost of safely readying it is high, in $ and energy. There is no point in Honda doing this now really, other than for show. They currently can afford to waste money on producing this that others can't.

I too would like a V8 option, but it isn't truly necessary for luxury cars if GTDI is an option, especially as gas keeps climbing.

No, Ford didn't "just purchase" toyota's hybrid. There's shared eng. I believe, but I promise Ford has a full dept for Hybrids.

Are you insinuating that customer demand drives Ford innovation? Because that is true of all makes, domestic or otherwise. The Town Car customers by the way are the ones who demand it live on (think limos)

rlj676-new job, same problems

Oh, and the Ford Hybrid.... Didn't Ford just purchase the technology from Toyota and pay a royalty for every Escape, Mariner, Tribute Hybrid sold?

And about the V-8 comment, while the Direct Injection V-6 is great, a Top of the Line Manufacturer of Luxury/Performance cars should have a V-8 in its lineup (and I count Acura as just a Near Luxury Car Line)

Anyway, without people like me asking for Something (anything innovative) from you, you would still be making Town Cars.... oh yea, you still are!

UDMan

You are unaware or unbelieving if you think that the rest of the auto industry is not investing HEAVILY in ideas like this. Bringing it to market does NOT make Honda ahead of the field. They feel there are strategic reasons to doing this, and profit isn't one.

Before you rant, just do a quick search on hydrogen fuel cell research. Ford R&D just sent a hydrogen fusion something like 180 mph. Look at R&D spending. So the research is there, wether you sell a few niche vehicles at a loss or not. Ford has had hybrids long before most, etc. You appear to just be ignorant to what is really happening, so rant on but anyone with ACTUAL industry knowledge knows you aren't correct.

Hell, when a domestic innovates such as GTDI (V8 power with V6 fuel economy), you say shit like "it has to have a V8". People like you are too closeminded to accept reality sometimes.

Your points about a new product release couldn't be more irrelevant in your "innovation" rant. I must have missed where Honda quit selling gas vehicles with improved features.

rlj676-new job, same problems

Take a lesson from Britain..... They had a multitude of car companies, from Ace to Vauxhaul, with a sprinkling or Morris, Rover, Triumph, Rolls, and Jaguar. What do they have now, that is owned by the British? Bristol, Morgan, and ????????

Your argument to wait until it's profitable means very little. Every new technology when introduced isn't profitable at first, but when it catches on, future versions will become profitable. Ford needs to innovate, not stagnate, and just rehashing the same old product (look, we've got 8 more HP, the Leather is now Softer, gee, we got LED Headlamps) just doesn't cut it. Are you secretly hoping that we legislate against imports, so that you can continue to sell such crap?

BTW to everyone else.... sorry for the rant!

UDMan

TinaChow

superbmtsub

This is an experiment, similar to the GM EV1 and Honda's own EV Plus. If it does well and nobody dies in one, expect future versions to come to market at a more sane cost.

djsyndrome

Overall though, it's cool they are coming out with a niche vehicle like this, and at that lease I'm sure it's at a loss. It's a shame that hydrogen probably takes as much energy to transport, ready for use, etc as a petrolium source.

@UDMAN:

This is not a profitable, or practicle car. I assure you domestics and everyone else is investing heavily in future products. That is different though than releasing a technology before it's time at a loss for exposure.

rlj676-new job, same problems

Heep

cgarison

sos10

I thought saving the environment was supposed to be cheap? Not a status item for the rich that want to look eco-friendly yet individually waste more electric & water than all of the residents of Findley, OH combined.

cgarison

Spence

Heep

UDMan

It must be nice when you can free your industrial complex from the many responsibilities of being the world's rent-a-cop.

TinaChow

Vizzini

FLB

Seriously, though, this is awesome. I want.

dragoth

Miscellanea, now on the main floor!

bmoredlj

weatherman

TeacherSnake