VANCOUVER--Honda Canada is driving the future with real- world demonstrations in Vancouver this week of its FCX hydrogen fuel cell cars. Providing a backdrop for test drives is Honda's participation in Globe 2006, a biennial trade fair and conference on business and the environment.

Speaking at the conference on "Honda Technology Challenge for Sustainable Society" will be Akio Hamada, president and chief executive officer of Honda of America Mfg., Inc., Marysville, Ohio. Mr. Hamada's presentation on Thursday, March 30, will focus on Honda's approach to addressing society's concerns regarding three major environmental challenges - energy sustainability, climate change and air quality.

Honda has been committed to addressing environmental concerns throughout its corporate history. One of Honda's first successes was the development of a cleaner-burning engine that made the Honda Civic the first vehicle to meet the stringent requirements of the 1970 U.S. Clear Air Act. In the years since, Honda has been a leader in producing low-emission vehicles with industry- leading fuel efficiency.

To further improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, Honda was the first manufacturer in North America to introduce a gasoline-electric hybrid car - Honda Insight - which remains the most fuel-efficient car in Canada. Improved versions of the hybrid system appeared in the world's first "mainstream" vehicles - the 2003 Civic Hybrid and the 2005 Accord Hybrid. Adding to its long history of advanced "green" technologies, Honda's latest hybrid powertrain in the 2006 Civic Hybrid, Canada's most affordable hybrid, offers improved power, efficiency and capabilities, including the ability to deactivate all four of its cylinders and operate using only the electric motor in certain steady-state cruising situations.

In addition to hybrid technology, Honda has incorporated VCM (Variable Cylinder Management) on the Odyssey and Accord V6. This technology allows deactivation of the rear bank of three cylinders of V6 engines when cruising or when less engine power is required, thus improving fuel economy.

Looking to the future, Honda became the first manufacturer to have a hydrogen fuel cell car certified by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB). In 2002, Honda delivered the FCX fuel cell car to the City of Los Angeles and the Cabinet Office of the Government of Japan. At present, there are 20 FCX cars running on public roads in the U.S. and seven in Japan.

Honda has further improved fuel cell technology with the development of the Honda Fuel Cell Stack that allows starting in sub-zero temperatures while providing one of the world's highest performance outputs. The new fuel cell stack also resulted in 50 per cent fewer components, making it more compact and potentially easier to produce in the future.

To show the practicality of fuel cell cars for real-world customers, Honda leased an FCX fuel cell car last year to the Spallino family in California, making them the first fuel cell family in the world. This is the first fuel cell car to be used by an individual retail customer in everyday activities, suggesting that fuel cell vehicles can be practical for regular customers in the years ahead.

Honda's goals for the future is to further advance sub-freezing start up, reducing overall system size, higher output with higher efficiency, improved durability and overall reliability. Honda is also researching reliable hydrogen production methods and fueling infrastructure.

Honda is also conducting research for a future hydrogen society with a third-generation Home Energy Station that extracts hydrogen from natural gas. At the same time, it efficiently generates heat and electricity for the home. Honda also has been conducting experiments on hydrogen fueling stations that use solar power as an energy source to generate hydrogen. The stations use solar cells to create electricity. They then extract hydrogen from water through electrolysis with zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Running from March 29 - 31 at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Globe 2006 conference attracts about 10,000 participants from more than 70 countries to explore issues of corporate sustainability, global energy and environmental markets, and the future of sustainable urban development.

Across its entire portfolio of products, Honda Canada provides Canadians with dependable vehicles, motorcycles, power equipment and marine engines. With 124 manufacturing facilities in 28 countries worldwide, Honda now attracts nearly 20 million customers annually. Honda Canada manufactures the Honda Ridgeline, Pilot, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan and Civic Si Coupe, and the Acura CSX and MDX at its two plants in Alliston, Ontario.