Good morning, and thank you for joining us for this world debut of Honda's all-new Fuel cell vehicle.
Today, we are introducing not only a new vehicle, but a new name, FCX Clarity.
For Honda, and the industry, this is a moment of real Clarity.
Because FCX Clarity is a name that speaks to Honda's clear vision for the future, and our company's legacy for taking action ... as well as the potential of the fuel cell vehicle to achieve the ultimate in clean mobility.
Because it delivers both advanced technology and advanced design ... FCX Clarity is a major step closer to meeting the needs of customers in the real world.
And it is our goal to make it the first fuel cell car to be placed in the hands of individual retail customers on a regular and continuing basis.
Almost 40 years ago as the threat of air pollution was becoming a very serious concern ... a group of Honda engineers adopted the words "blue skies for our children" as Honda's vision to create a cleaner world for future generations.
Based on this vision we took action to create an engine that set a new world standard for cleaner emissions ... and high fuel efficiency.
Today, even as we have continued to focus on clean air... Honda recognizes climate change and energy sustainability as two of the most critical global issues facing society.
Toward these challenges, we have focused on bringing advanced technology to market ... to further increase fuel efficiency ... and advance alternative fuels.
In this spirit ... preserving "blue skies" for future generations is still our guiding force.
And the FCX Clarity is the next step in this vision and our commitment to act upon it.
I want to thank all of our customers of the first generation FCX ... especially the city of Los Angeles ... the world's first fuel cell customer and the Spallino family ... the world's first fuel cell family.
They are not only our customers ... they have served the world as pioneers and partners in our shared effort to advance the cause of a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable mobility.
But the best way to serve our customers ... and meet our responsibility as an automaker ... is to continue to advance this technology and bring it to market as soon as possible.
We realize that there are many questions about fuel cell vehicles ... about the cost... about the fuel... and about how long it will take to bring to the mass market. We admit that the challenges we still face are very real.
But so is our determination to overcome them.
Please consider how far we've come in a very short time.
Over the past seven years, we have reduced the fuel cell stack to one-fifth its original size.
We have reduced by half the number of parts in the stack, reducing manufacturing complexity.
And we have achieved this while increasing performance ...
range ...
style ...
passenger and cargo space ...
and the ability to start and operate in extreme hot and cold weather conditions.
Step by step, with continuous effort, commitment and focus on the customer, we are overcoming all of these obstacles.
The challenges are real.
But so is Honda's commitment to continue advancement ... and so is the progress we are making.
We have a vision to meet this challenge, to lead the way for the next 100 years of personal mobility.
And this new FCX Clarity represents our vision ... in action.
Thank you.