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Yamaha Motor Co. plans to begin leasing a new fuel cell motorbike to a local government authority in Japan today
The motorbike runs on a fuel cell powered by a methanol solution, and its carbon dioxide emission could be 40% less than that of a 50cc gasoline engine model.
Use of the unit by the Shizuoka prefectural government marks the first public use of such a vehicle. Named FC-me, the model will be leased through March 31, 2006, for 105,000 yen a month.
Yamaha spent more than 20 years developing fuel cells, and the FC-me has been tested on public roads since September 2004.
Honda Motor Co. is working on a fuel cell cycle, too. However, the Honda unit uses hydrogen.
