(Torrance / USA) – Technology company Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is launching a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). The car, based on the CR-V compact SUV, was announced at the end of 2022 and, according to the company, will be available for customer leasing in Japan and California later this year under the name "CR-V e:FCEV".
Driving with electricity and hydrogen
The vehicle combines a fuel cell system made in the USA with a plug-in charging option: With the batteries, which can also be charged externally, it can be driven purely electrically for 29 miles (47 kilometers) in the city, and longer distances can be covered with hydrogen. The range is 270 miles (434 kilometers).
The Honda “CR-V e:FCEV” can be charged externally with green electricity… © Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
The standard equipment included information about hydrogen filling stations as well as charging and power supply data. In addition, the car can be charged via a 110-volt socket and, with an output of up to 1.500 watts, serves as a “clean power source” that can be used to power small household appliances, portable air conditioning systems, power tools, camping equipment and much more.
The 5-passenger car is the first application of the “second generation” Honda fuel cell module developed in conjunction with General Motors (GM), which is manufactured at Fuel Cell System Manufacturing, LLC (FCSM) in Michigan and “compares to the previous generation The Honda fuel cell system offers, among other things, improved durability and higher efficiency at lower costs. The CR-V e:FCEV is built at the Honda Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio.
...and serve as a “clean power source” for small household appliances, portable air conditioners or camping equipment. © Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
The new fuel cell module will reduce costs by two thirds compared to the costs of the system in the “Clarity Fuel Cell”. This significant reduction was achieved through various measures, including the use of “innovative corrosion-resistant materials” for the electrodes. In addition, the durability of the system has doubled and performance at low temperatures has also been “significantly improved”.
The new fuel cell module is intended to reduce costs by two thirds compared to the previous system. © Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
In order to maximize the range, the aerodynamics have been optimized with underbody protection and a front spoiler. The 2025 CR-V e:FCEV has an output of 174 hp. All materials used could be recycled or reused. Honda wants to “proactively increase the use of hydrogen as an energy source and strive to expand its hydrogen business”. The fuel cell system should be used in FCEVs, commercial fuel cell vehicles, stationary power plants and construction machinery.
The group is also examining external business opportunities and wants to start delivering fuel cell system modules to third parties “in the near future”. The company plans to initially sell 2.000 units per year and then gradually expand.
Fuel cells for emergency power supply
Honda began demonstration testing in March 2023 for a stationary fuel cell power plant to provide backup power to the data center at its campus in Torrance, California, and announced a similar project in Japan to build a similar facility to power a Mitsubishi data center: " Fuel cell power systems offer a promising future for clean power generation when powered by green hydrogen,” the company said
Honda began testing a fuel cell power plant in 2023 to provide backup power to the data center at its campus in Torrance, California. © Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
In the commercial vehicle sector, a zero-emission fuel cell-powered truck was developed together with Isuzu Motors Ltd. developed and presented at the Japan Mobility Show 2023. Testing on public roads began at the end of last year. The production model is scheduled to come onto the market in 2027.
Honda is also working on hydrogen technology for use in space: “In addition to water and food, people also need oxygen and hydrogen as fuel and electricity for various activities that support life in space.”
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Honda will launch the “CR-V eFCEV” model in 2025. © Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
