On Monday, June 16, the Honda, fuel cell FCX Clarity rolled off the assembly line in Japan and is headed for southern California where green advocates and gas-strapped drivers are eagerly anticipating its arrival.

The Clarity uses hydrogen and electricity for fuel and emits nothing but water vapor in exchange. Producing energy efficiency twice that of a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a gasoline car, many believe the vehicle is a harbinger of a new generation in personal transportation.

A few dozen of the fuel cell Clarity units will be leased in California during the remainder of the year with an expected 200 on the roads within 12 months. The three-year lease will cost approximately $600 a month and includes both maintenance and coverage against collisions.

Celebrities including Jamie Lee Curtis and actress Marie Warner have already signed on to become Clarity drivers. "It's so smooth," said Harris, a cast member of the series 24. "It's like a future machine, but it's not."

Critics point to the lack of infrastructure, principally hydrogen fueling stations, as the largest hurdle in widespread adoption of fuel cell vehicles. Only drivers near existing stations in Torrance, Santa Monica, and Irvine were accepted for the California lease program. The cars will reach the state sometime in July with a launch in Japan this fall.