The New Hydrogen Honda CR-V Has A Rechargeable Battery

8 months, 3 weeks ago - 29 February 2024, motor1

The only fuel-cell passenger vehicle made in America also has a battery pack.

This may look like a regular Honda CR-V, but the two fuel caps denote its plug-in hybrid setup. Usually, that would imply one of them is for the fuel tank to feed a combustion engine. However, this CR-V doesn't have a gas engine. Instead, it combines a fuel cell setup with a battery pack. Yes, the CR-V has been engineered with a plug-in hydrogen setup.

Touted as being "the only fuel cell electric passenger vehicle made in America," the compact SUV has a rather complicated name: 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV. Motivation is provided by a front-mounted electric motor producing 174 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque. The compressed hydrogen gas tank has a capacity of 4.3 kilograms for an EPA-certified driving range of 270 miles. As for the separate 17.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack, it has enough juice for an EPA-estimated 29 miles.

Joining the regular turbo and hybrid models, the e:FCEV version benefits from bidirectional charging like some regular plug-in hybrid and battery EVs do. It comes bundled with a power supply connector that hooks up to a 110-volt outlet to deliver a maximum of 1,500 watts of power. This handy feature can juice up home appliances, camping equipment, power tools, and even a portable air conditioner.

Because the weight distribution is different, Honda says it has entirely retuned the suspension at both axles. The CR-V e:FCEV uses a MacPherson strut front and a multi-link rear. We're being told the rear lateral rigidity is up by 10 percent and rear torsional rigidity by 9 percent over the models that have a combustion engine. In addition, there are new stabilizer bars, dampers, and springs.

The CR-V e:FCEV is Honda's first model to use the second generation of its fuel cell module, which is made in Michigan and has been co-developed with General Motors. It’s touted as being more efficient, durable, refined, and cost-effective than its predecessor. Compared to the defunct Clarity Fuel Cell, the costs to produce the fuel cell have been slashed by two-thirds.

Honda has made some effort to visually separate the hydrogen version from the existing CR-V models. The front fenders and bumper have been changed, along with a partially black tailgate, clear taillights, and 18-inch black alloy wheels with a 10-spoke design. Beneath the vehicle, the e:FCEV has a fully closed underfloor for better airflow to improve efficiency.

While the regular CR-V is offered for the 2024 model year in six trim levels, the plug-in hydrogen model will be available for 2025 strictly as a Touring. That means it has all the goodies included as standard, from electrically adjustable heated front seats to a 12-speaker Bose sound system. You also get dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, a power tailgate, and a wireless charging pad. The 9-inch touchscreen and 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster are standard, and so is wireless compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV will be available to lease in California from later this year. It's worth noting the model's debut comes only a couple of weeks after Shell announced plans to close all seven of its hydrogen stations in CA. According to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership (H2FCP), there were 55 available stations in the state on January 10, 2024, before Shell decided to pull the plug, both literally and figuratively.