Last week, Honda kicked off production of its hydrogen SUV, the CR-V e:FCEV, at its plant in Marysville, Ohio. For the moment, it is the only fuel cell vehicle being manufactured in America.

The CR-V is also the only model to combine an all-new fuel cell system made in the USA* with a rechargeable battery. This enables it to cover almost 50 km in electric mode in the city. This SUV boasts a total range of 600 km. The manufacturer confirms that it offers the same performance as the hybrid equivalent. This model also has a power connector for running small household appliances, power tools and camping equipment. It can even recharge the new Honda Motocompacto electric scooter.

A plant intended as a hub for zero-emission vehicles

Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Centre is used to small production runs, having assembled the legendary NSX. The process had to be adapted to integrate the fuel cell, hydrogen tanks, the battery and the connections. The site was also equipped with a compressor station so that the CR-V could be filled with hydrogen at 700 bars as it came off the production line. “Producing a zero-emission fuel cell electric vehicle is one more step toward Honda’s global goal of achieving carbon neutrality for our products and operations.” said Patrick McIntyre, lead of PMC. The site is to become a ‘Honda EV hub’, with the aim of achieving 100% of sales by 2040 with batteries and fuel cells.

Honda is getting actively involved in hydrogen in the USA. In addition to the CR-V e:FCEV, the Japanese manufacturer recently presented a fuel cell truck concept for the North American market. It has also begun demonstration testing of a stationary fuel cell power plant at its Torrance, California, campus in March 2023. Finally, Honda is also exploring the application of its fuel cell system in the construction machinery market.

*The next-generation fuel cell system that powers it is also manufactured in the U.S. at Fuel Cell System Manufacturing LLC in Brownstown, Michigan (the joint venture manufacturing facility created by Honda and General Motors). It boasts higher efficiency and greater refinement, with double the durability performance and two-thirds the cost of the previous generation Honda Clarity Fuel Cell.

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Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili