Japanese Ministry of Land, Transport and Infrastructure has certified the Honda FCX (earlier post) for use on public roads. Equipped with Honda's own fuel cell stack, the FCX can start in sub-freezing temperatures.  Honda plans to offer the new FCX for lease in various regions in Japan starting in 2005, including those with cold winter climates.

Honda has been leasing the earlier version of the FCX in the United States and Japan since December 2002. Honda has been testing the second-generation FCX in cold weather since last year, demonstrating its  capacity to start and operate at sub-zero temperatures.