June 20, 2005 — Honda Motor Co. Ltd. of Japan announced last week that its FCX fuel cell vehicle has received motor vehicle type certification from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The ministry enacted safety and environmental standards for vehicles powered by pressurized hydrogen on March 31. Honda’s FX vehicle received certification shortly thereafter.
Previously, fuel cell vehicles were certified on a case-by-case basis for testing on public roads, according to a Honda release. The new certification is for vehicles ultimately intended for public sale. Honda has delivered a total of 19 FCX fuel cell vehicles to customers in the U.S. and Japan since December 2002.