I rode in my first Honda fuel cell, the FCX-V1 at its introduction 18 years ago. I drove the first commercially available fuel-cell car, the Honda FCX, more than 14 years ago and then I drove its gorgeous replacement, the FCX Clarity, four years later. Yet only now has Honda deigned to bring the Clarity to Europe.

The fuel cell scene has changed a lot since those early days. Hyundai brought its ix35 to market, and Toyota has launched the eye-catching Mirai. There's even a blossoming hydrogen filling station network – we were first to use the M25's brand new one – and growing interest from a wary public. The Clarity is a vital factor in that last point, especially as the technology approaches its adolescence.