The age of the hybrid fuel cell car has arrived -- with a whisper.

Against the backdrop of ever-rising fuel prices and worries about global warming, Honda has unveiled its FCX hydrogen-powered fuel cell concept car, set to go into limited production next year.

	The 2008 Honda FCX concept car runs on a hydrogen-powered fuel cell. Click photo for larger image.

Honda expects the 2008 FCX will get fuel mileage of around 68 mpg in combined highway and city driving, with a range of 270 miles. The only emission that the FCX's electric engine produces is water vapor created when hydrogen and oxygen combine to produce electricity

This is no ordinary automobile. Be that as it may, Honda officials emphasized that soon, driving such cars would be an everyday experience.

The FCX "is not just some far out, pie-in-the-sky exercise in what may or may not come to fruition some day in the distant future," said Steve Ellis, manager of fuel cell vehicle marketing for American Honda Motor Co. Inc. "We feel fuel cell electric vehicles are the best and ultimate solution to the twin environmental and societal challenges of global climate change and energy sustainability."

The FCX is the first hydrogen fuel cell car that has been certified for daily use by both the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board.

"Along with that, we've already done our own internal crash testing to ensure that the FCX meets federal crash standards as well. So we consider this to be a production car," said Honda spokesman Chris Naughton.

The FCX looks more like an Italian concept car than a Japanese production car. It is equipped with a two-toned interior with generous contours and brilliantly lit displays that include easy-to-use information on hydrogen fuel consumption. The car's exterior features an overall teardrop shape with a dramatic sloping, yet short, front end.

Don't expect much change when the production model hits the road either, Mr. Naughton said.

"We very much expect to carry over not only the sleek styling and very spacious interior, but also the performance characteristics. ... Any changes will mainly slight tweaks, like headlights, bumper height and a few other things to make it a true production car," Mr. Naughton added.

Despite generating a lot of industry buzz, the FCX doesn't make a heck of a lot of noise. In fact, the car sounded similar to the whistle of a jet engine ready to take off as it zoomed around a test track at the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington, D.C.

The FCX drives an awful lot like any other car, if you're talking about a sports sedan and not a family car. The real surprise was how aggressively this car can handle. It tore into corners eagerly and without any noticeable body lean. The fun part was acceleration -- strictly linear with no sensation of gear shifting, due to its "shift-by-wire" technology. It picked up speed confidently and smoothly, with increases in speed accentuated by the rising jet engine sound of the car's powertrain system.

Honda introduced the first FCX hydrogen fuel cell car 18 years ago. It, along with the generations that succeeded it, were tiny, boxy two-passenger sedans that are a far cry from the current sleek luxury model.

The early versions of the car went to local and state governments, which provided feedback that Honda officials used to continue to develop the car.

Two years ago, Honda leased one of the little FCXs to its first retail customer, a California family.

The company plans to announce later this year exactly how many of the hydrogen fuel cell cars will be built and leased to customers. (Initially at least, the cars are expected to be offered for lease only). Honda said the car's lease likely will be more than $500 a month because the FCX will be marketed as a luxury car.

Despite Honda's optimism, sizable hurdles remain to widespread use of hydrogen cars, not the least of which is getting enough refueling stations in operation to make them practical. There are only about 60 hydrogen fuel cell refueling stations in the nation, with about 50 of them in California.

But Honda thinks it has that problem licked. It's working on a home refueling station that will use natural gas to create hydrogen -- and provide electricity and heat to homes.