Mazda Motor Corp. announces it will begin leasing its Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid Minivan to governments and other public fleets in Japan in March 2009 after finishing a series of road tests set to begin soon.

Honda is now building the world's first series production dedicated fuel cell vehicle at a factory in Tochigi, Japan. During a ceremony at the Honda Automobile New Model Center, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui announces the names of the first five customers for the FCX Clarity. The customers will take delivery of the cars when they arrive next month in Southern California.

Volkswagen showed its Tiguan HyMotion concept in the United States for the first time this week as a new dealership opened in San Jose CA. The Tiguan is first crossover VW has converted to hydrogen fuel cell propulsion and was previously shown in November 2007 at the Challenge Bibendum in China.

General Motors announces a collaboration with Clean Energy to set up a hydrogen filling station near Los Angeles International Airport. The station will be located at the site of an existing compressed natural gas station operated by Clean Energy. Project Driveway partner Virgin Atlantic will use the station to fill its fuel cell Chevrolet Equinoxes.

Nissan and Renault are working together to actively develop vehicles that produce no direct emissions and are following multiple paths including both battery electric and hydrogen fuel cells.  The partners will show a new fuel cell powered MPV around Europe this summer.

BMW has been active in developing hydrogen as automotive fuel for over a decade but is the only major automaker to focus on using liquid rather than gaseous hydrogen. The German carmaker is now claiming a major breakthrough in liquid hydrogen storage.

The US Department of Energy is offering $130 million in new research and development funding for hydrogen fuel cell development. The money will be available for work on portable and stationary power applications in addition to transportation uses. The DOE alternative fuel vehicle fleet also has taken possession of one of General Motors' Equinox fuel cell crossovers.

American Honda Motor Company announces new details about the leasing arrangements for its upcoming FCX Clarity fuel cell car. The world's first series production fuel cell will be available to drivers in Southern California beginning in July of this year for $600/month.

On Earth Day 2008, Peugeot and Intelligent Energy unveil the latest product of their joint development program, a fuel cell-powered Peugeot van dubbed the H2Origin. The van's hydrogen tanks are easily swapped out for full units refilled at another location. If such a system is shown to be viable, existing filling stations could potentially offer hydrogen tank exchanges in a similar manner to how propane tanks are sold today.

In prepared comments to the National Hydrogen Association, Larry Burns, GM's vice president of Research and Development, says there is no technical reason stopping major auto makers from producing fuel cell models in large numbers, and challenges government and energy companies to seriously commit to significant infrastructure investments to make the fuel available to metropolitan areas.