Honda has lastly formally introduced its subsequent hydrogen-powered car, the CR-V e:FCEV. This information comes after Honda and GM partnered to develop hydrogen fuel cells in the United States. Honda has had a imaginative and prescient for hydrogen that goes again a long time, and now as different automakers join the fray, hydrogen seems to be again on the rise as a method to remove emissions for automobiles. Honda hopes to make use of America as a launching level for its hydrogen-driven future.

The CR-V has been one of many best-selling vehicles in its class for the previous 10 years, so it is no marvel Honda used it as the idea for a brand new hydrogen effort. A basic household crossover, the CR-V permits house for the children, their sports activities gear, and the canine.

All of this wrapped up in a secure, comfy, easy-to-drive bundle. Now Honda is giving shoppers this engaging possibility with a inexperienced spin. A zero-emission crossover for the lots, with new clear know-how to make the transition away from gasoline as painless as doable. The CR-V e:FCEV is a little bit of a mouthful, however we positively are intrigued by the prospect of a brand new hydrogen crossover. Here’s what it’s good to find out about Honda’s latest SUV.

In order to provide the latest and correct info doable, the information used to compile this text was sourced from Honda’s press releases on its hydrogen vehicles and its hydrogen gas cell manufacturing facility.

1 This is Honda’s First Hydrogen-Powered Car In Production Since 2021

Honda has been producing hydrogen automobiles since 2002 with its unique FCX. The unique FCX was the truth is the primary hydrogen-powered automotive to be made road-legal within the U.S., beating even Toyota to the punch. Most just lately, Honda had launched the Clarity Fuel Cell as its hydrogen staple.

The CR-V e:FCEV Succeeds The Clarity Fuel Cell

• The Clarity name has been in use since 2008, when the FCX was up to date to the FCX Clarity.
• In 2015 Honda introduced a brand new Clarity, eliminating the FCX naming conference.
• The new era Clarity was supplied as a plug-in hybrid, absolutely electrical, and gas cell car.
• The most up-to-date Clarity has a spread of 366 miles on a single hydrogen fill-up.
• It was discontinued in 2021.

The Clarity Fuel Cell unfortunately struggled with sales, resulting in the termination of its manufacturing. Lack of infrastructure continues to be one of many predominant points plaguing hydrogen’s breakthrough as a reliable manner of fueling a car, and the Clarity Fuel Cell is one other sufferer of that drawback. However, Honda has not given up hope, and is forging forward with the CR-V e:FCEV

2 The CR-V e:FCEV Is The Only Hydrogen Production Car Made In America

While America is transferring in direction of a inexperienced future, we’re not precisely often known as probably the most environmentally pleasant nation on Earth. So it needs to be no shock that earlier than the CR-V e:FCEV there have been no hydrogen manufacturing vehicles made right here. Surprisingly, it was not one of many American auto-giants that made the breakthrough, however a Japanese firm in Honda. However, it did have some assist from GM.

Honda’s Partnership With GM Means American-Made Green Vehicles

• GM and Honda partnered back in 2017 to develop gas cell options for the American market, forming Fuel Cell System Manufacturing LLC (FSCM).
• They constructed a 70,000 square-feet manufacturing facility in Michigan to additional the hassle, which now produces Honda’s fuel cells for the CR-V e:FCEV.
• Honda expects over 2,000 gas cell models a 12 months to return out of the manufacturing facility within the close to future.
• The CR-V e:FCEV is inbuilt Honda’s efficiency manufacturing middle in Marysville, Ohio.

For these inquisitive about shopping for an American, a Japanese automotive could look like a wierd possibility. However, Honda is devoted to constructing its gas cell vehicles right here, and is in league with certainly one of our largest automakers to do it. The extra patriotic readers amongst us ought to smile in realizing that superior automotive know-how nonetheless comes out of the U.S.

3 Honda Says The CR-V e:FCEV Will Be On The Roads In 2024

The CR-V e:FCEV just isn’t some idea or dream from Honda. It is a bonafide manufacturing automotive that can be obtainable to drive quickly. Honda has introduced that it is going to be obtainable to the general public within the 2024 calendar 12 months.

The New Hydrogen-Powered Car Will Be Available To Lease In California

Currently, Honda has introduced solely a leasing possibility for its new hydrogen effort. This just isn’t out of line with its earlier hydrogen choices. The most up-to-date Clarity Fuel Cell was solely obtainable for lease as nicely. Pricing has not been mentioned by Honda, however the previous Clarity was a $379/month lease.

However, that determine did embody hydrogen gas prices as much as $15,000 by means of the time period of the lease in addition to different advantages. It stays to be seen how Honda will make its leasing construction work for its latest hydrogen car, however with the cost of fuel being high for hydrogen cars, it is probably that it’ll as soon as once more pay on your hydrogen. The predominant downside to not with the ability to purchase a hydrogen car is that the proprietor just isn’t eligible for the substantial tax credit score the zero-emission automotive brings. We’ll see how Honda handles this going ahead.

4 The CR-V e:FCEV Is A Plug-In Hybrid

Honda has taken a little bit of a unique technique with the ability plant of its new hydrogen car. This time it included a battery pack with a plug-in charger alongside the gas cell. This is a brand new line of considering for hydrogen vehicles, to mix EV tech and gas cells. It’s additionally the design of Renault’s Scenic Vision hydrogen idea automotive.

Batteries And A Fuel Cell Will Power The New CUV

• The CR-V e:FCEV could have a 29-mile vary of battery energy.
• The design is meant to permit the motive force to make use of electrical energy for brief native journeys, after which hydrogen for longer ones.
• This means much less fueling at hydrogen stations, which ought to make shoppers cautious in regards to the gas infrastructure comfortable.
• Honda hopes the ham-and-egg technique can be handy for households who’re continually on the go, however by no means going that far.

The thought of a hybrid hydrogen car is slightly impressed. It ought to assist alleviate the nervousness of not with the ability to discover a hydrogen station in a time of want. However, the 29-mile quantity may not be sufficient in Southern California, the place the automotive can be obtainable. Still, we’re to see how this zero-emission hybrid pans out.

5 This Is The First Major Step In Honda’s Green Future

Honda is severe about lowering emissions. It has gone all in with this gas cell manufacturing facility within the U.S., and even retooled a part of the aforementioned Marysville plant to make EVs as nicely. It has formidable targets about being a inexperienced firm and plans to execute these targets.

The Company Plans To Be Carbon Neutral By 2050

• Through its “Triple Action to Zero” technique, Honda plans to go absolutely carbon-neutral.
• By 2050 it should use solely 100% sustainable supplies.
• It plans to make use of 100% carbon-free power by 2050 as nicely.
• Even sooner, it plans to promote 40-percent EV or HFCVs in North America by 2030, and 100-precent by 2040

Honda has spent billions of {dollars} (and trillions of yen) making this transfer to electrification and hydrogen. These plans at the moment are rock strong, and with main gamers within the automotive house like Honda on the brink of reject inner combustion, we may truly be seeing the end of gasoline.

6 The CR-V e:FCEV Offers A 270-mile Range

We talked about the 29-mile battery vary of the hydrogen CR-V, however the EPA has rated the crossover for 270 miles all-in with its hydrogen element. As we talked about with the battery vary, this simply does not essentially really feel like sufficient. We cannot say we’re too impressed with a 270-mile vary for a hydrogen car in 2024.

This Puts It A Bit Behind Some Of Its Hydrogen Competitors

• This is already a couple of 100-mile discount from the Clarity Fuel Cell, not a superb search for Honda to be going backward right here.
• 270 miles is 110 lower than its closest competitor, the Hyundai Nexo, another crossover hydrogen car.
• It’s additionally about 130 lower than the Mirai, Toyota’s hydrogen mainstay.

It’s a bit baffling that Honda would launch this automotive with about 25% much less vary than its earlier hydrogen providing, particularly since, as a bigger automotive, it ought to have been simpler to place in a bigger hydrogen gas system. It additionally begs the query if the plug-in hybrid system actually makes any sense, because it simply seems to be lowering the vary in comparison with full-on gas cell automobiles. Honda’s opponents with the ability to say “well, our car has about 40-50-percent more range than the CR-V” can’t be a robust gross sales level. 270 miles is not a horrible vary within the EV and hydrogen world, but it surely simply seems like a determine from 10 years in the past, particularly as Honda’s opponents keep pushing longer ranges.

7 The CR-V e:FCEV Makes Up To 174 Horsepower

We’ll simply get it out within the open from the beginning. The hydrogen CR-V just isn’t presupposed to be a efficiency car. It is supposed to drop the children off at college and soccer follow, or go to the farmer’s market. It is supposed to do these items comfortably and safely, lengthy earlier than it’s meant to do these items rapidly and excitingly. Thus, it’s not going to blow anybody’s thoughts with energy figures.

2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV Specs

(Specs sourced from Honda)

• This is just like the bottom ICE CR-V which makes 190 horses, and 179 pound-feet of torque.
• This can also be in step with the Nexo’s stats of 161 horses and 290 pound-feet of torque.
• Electric motors all the time present a torque benefit, which implies that the e:FCEV could also be somewhat higher for towing (one thing easy like a motorbike rack or small trailer) than its ICE brother.

The energy supplied by the CR-V e:FCEV is nothing to put in writing dwelling about. However, it doesn’t should be. It is made for households and professionals, not speed-freaks. It is a zero-emission different to a well-liked crossover, not a brand new, groundbreaking piece of automotive genius. It is giving as a lot because it must for its function within the automotive world.

8 It Will Be Available In Only One Trim

If you desire a hydrogen-powered CR-V, you’re going to get *the* hydrogen-powered CR-V. Honda is simply making one model of the automotive, not one with a number of trim ranges. It seems probably the most you possibly can select in regards to the CR-V e:FCEV is the paint and inside colours.

Just The ‘Touring’ Will Be In Showrooms

Unlike the ICE CR-V, simply the ‘Touring’ mannequin can be obtainable. The gasoline model is available in 4 variations; the EX, EX-L, Hybrid, and Sport Touring Hybrid editions. It seems the hydrogen-powered model will simply take top-level trim from the unique. It is not going to be with out goodies, nonetheless,

Honda says it will have things like heated seats and a heated steering wheel, dual-zone local weather management, and be made with sustainable supplies, like so-called “bio-leather”, together with some tech options to be mentioned in a while. Considering it doesn’t permit you to buy the automotive, it is sensible that Honda would slightly simply lease out a standardized mannequin. It makes it simpler for everybody from the manufacturing facility to the gross sales rep, and it makes the choice to lease one for the buyer slightly than black and white.

9 A Honda Power Supply Connector Will Be Included With The FCEV

Since the latest CR-V is a plug-in hybrid, it solely is sensible that Honda offers a plug. While it is unclear if Honda can pay for set up, it should at the very least give the charging system totally free along with your lease. Having an at dwelling cost level is a should for many who will depend on the battery vary of the e:FCEV to get round city.

The At-Home Charging System Ensures You Get The Most Out Of Your Plug-In Hybrid

• Honda will present a 110-volt charger.
• No cost time information has been launched, but it surely’s secure to imagine a reasonably fast cost for the restricted vary.
• The battery may also then be used to energy different objects like energy instruments and tenting gear.

Honda is getting in on the pattern of allowing your electric batteries to power things other than your car. This is all effective and dandy, and I’m certain it’s helpful to some house owners, but it surely appears somewhat bit superfluous for a automotive with over 100 miles much less vary than its opponents. It appears like most house owners will want each mile they’ll get out of the hybrid system, but when the chance arises to make use of the batteries to energy a band noticed, it is higher to have it and never want it than to want it and never have it.

10 The CR-V e:FCEV Is Loaded With Tech

The batteries is not going to simply energy know-how from exterior the brand new CR-V, they energy issues inside as nicely. Honda has loaded up the brand new hydrogen automotive with every kind of recent tech to maintain the automotive feeling trendy and classy.

Digital Instrumentation And A Large Touchscreen Are Just The Beginning

• The CR-V e:FCEV comes commonplace with a nine-inch HD touchscreen.
• It has a ten.2-inch digital instrumentation cluster.
• It has Android Auto and Apple Car Play Connect with wi-fi compatibility.
• The new hydrogen CR-V has wi-fi cellphone charging built-in.
• The e:FCEV has Honda Sensing which incorporates blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning and help techniques, collision help, adaptive cruise management, cross-traffic warnings for parking tons, and extra.

The know-how included commonplace within the CR-V e:FCEV is spectacular, correctly for a automotive sporting the alleged way forward for gas techniques. Drivers needs to be proud of the comfort and security of the usual know-how on the hydrogen CR-V.

Overall the CR-V e:FCEV appears like a pleasant addition to the trendy hydrogen car catalog, nonetheless, the vary actually does depart one thing to be desired. We’re uncertain what Honda was interested by releasing a automotive with almost 100 miles much less vary than its earlier hydrogen-powered car. Still, in case you are available in the market for a zero-emission crossover, see how this one stands up to the Nexo as soon as it turns into obtainable.