Honda and Toyota, two of the main players in hybrids and fuel cells, stayed away from the Michelin technology demonstration this time. Honda was busy launching its FCX Clarity at the Los Angeles Motor Show. This has been heralded as the first fuel cell car to go on general sale but it is not quite that.

I drove the Honda FCX Concept in Sweden last summer and was very impressed. It proved that a fuel cell car can be not just a practical proposition but a sporty performer that is enjoyable to drive.

The Clarity is the FCX Concept built to mass production standards - with a steel body rather than the prototype's aluminium and carbon fibre. But only a 100 or so will be made and they will be leased to selected customers in Los Angeles and Tokyo, where there are hydrogen refuelling facilities. The $600 a month lease bears no relation to the cost of the car. Honda thinks it could take 10 years to make a £40,000 fuel cell car a profitable proposition.