Honda is Releasing a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Plug-In Hybrid CR-V for 2025

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles offer a unique EV experience, and their ability to completely refuel in just a few minutes makes them more convenient than their battery-powered counterparts. That said, they’re only sold in California, and there are only two models available. Honda was a player in the hydrogen game but stopped selling the Clarity in 2022. That’s about to change, however, as the automaker recently announced the CR-V e:FCEV, the first plug-in hydrogen vehicle in the United States.


The concept behind the CR-V is similar to that of a traditional PHEV, replacing gas with hydrogen. Honda worked with General Motors to design the fuel cell module. The owner can plug in at home or a public charger and get 29 miles of range or fill with hydrogen to get up to 270 miles of range. A single motor delivers 174 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. Honda said it designed the suspension to “deliver the same sporty driving experience and class-leading refinement as other CR-V models,” though the sporty part is debatable.

HondaLink navigation comes standard, offering guidance to one of the 55 hydrogen fueling stations in California. The CR-V also gets a full suite of driver aids, wireless smartphone mirroring, a nine-inch touchscreen, and a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster. It has a 110-volt outlet on board that can power appliances, power tools, air conditioners, and other equipment.

[Images: Honda]


Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by  subscribing to our newsletter.

Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

More by Chris Teague

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 21 comments
  • Jkross22 Jkross22 on Feb 27, 2024

    this is how difficult it can get....

    • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Feb 28, 2024

      This is why Tesla built the Supercharger network themselves, instead of relying on others in in the public or private sector.

      As for hydrogen, this map is what I'd expect, and it comports with an Edmunds article a few years ago about their long-term Mirai. Refilling was a nightmare, even in California.

      The technical challenges of handling hydrogen are way harder than EVs, and EV filling isn't super reliable.

  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Feb 28, 2024

    Honda is dreaming. And resting on its 'laurels' (French for 'posterior').

  • C-b65792653 I'm starting to wonder about Elon....again!!I see a parallel with Henry Ford who was the wealthiest industrialist at one time. Henry went off on a tangent with the peace ship for WWI, Ford TriMotor, invasive social engineering, etc. Once the economy went bad, the focus fell back to cars. Elon became one of the wealthiest industrialist in the 21st century. Then he went off with the space venture, boring holes in the ground venture, "X" (formerly Twitter), etc, etc, etc. Once Tesla hit a plateau and he realized his EVs were a commodity, he too is focused on his primary money making machine. Yet, I feel Elon is over reacting. Down sizing is the nature of the beast in the auto industry; you can't get around that. But hacking the Super Charger division is like cutting off your own leg. IIRC, GM and Ford were scheduled to sign on to the exclusive Tesla charging format. That would have doubled or tripled his charging opportunity. I wonder what those at the Renaissance Center and the Glass House are thinking now. As alluded to, there's blood in the water and other charging companies will fill the void. I believe other nations have standardized EV charging (EU & China). Elon had the chance to have his charging system as the default in North America. Now, he's dropped the ball. He's lost considerable influence on what the standardized format will eventually be. Tremendous opportunity lost. 🚗🚗🚗
  • Tassos I never used winter tires, and the last two decades I am driving almost only rear wheel drive cars, half of them in MI. I always bought all season tires for them, but the diff between touring and non touring flavors never came up. Does it make even the smallest bit of difference? (I will not read the lengthy article because I believe it does not).
  • Lou_BC ???
  • Lou_BC Mustang sedan? 4 doors? A quarterhorse?Ford nomenclature will become:F Series - Pickups Raptor - performance division Bronco - 4x4 SUV/CUVExplorer - police fleetsMustang- cars
  • Ede65792611 Got one. It was my Dad's and now has 132K on it. I pay my Mercedes guy zillions of dollars to keep it going. But, I do, and he does and it's an excellent vehicle. I've put in the full Android panel for BT handsfree and streaming with a backup cam.
Next