Honda News: Honda Unveils the First Plug-In Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle

[Drew Dowdell]

Honda unveiled the first hydrogen fuel-cell plug-in vehicle today on their website.  The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV has a total EPA-rated range of 270 miles and a battery-operated range of 29 miles.   Only available in front-wheel drive, the powertrain offers 174 horsepower and 229 lb-ft of torque. Honda has reworked the suspension setup with tuned dampers and springs.  The fuel-cell stack has an estimated 92.2 kW production capacity feeding from 4.3 kg of stored hydrogen.  Drivers can charge the battery with Level-2 charging or visit a hydrogen filling station for fast fill-ups. 

Offered only in a well-equipped Touring trim, the CR-V e:FCEV receives unique styling to identify it as a fuel-cell model and includes a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster, 9-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, wireless phone charging, a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, power-adjustable heated front seats, heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, handsfree access power tailgate, parking sensors and sustainable materials including bio-based leather seat upholstery.

The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV also offers a 1,500-watt, 110-volt power supply to power small appliances, power tools, and camping equipment. 

Honda will only offer the 2025 CR-V e:FCEV as a lease for drivers in Southern California beginning later in 2025. 

 

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[David]

WOW, a total compliance auto with underwhelming power and range in a market where hydrogen fueling stations are closing and at a cost that makes it hundreds of dollars to fuel a tank full.

I guess write it off against profits as Like the Toyota garbage, they will have to give these away for near free.

Toyota is already giving stupid $40,000 discounts to just sell the few that they do make and offer you to borrow an ICE auto when you need it to drive longer road trips.

Toyota Offers $40,000 Off a $67,000 Car - Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com)

Looking at the images, guess you have to be a honda fan as the interior is just hideous to me and the exterior mirrors the rest of their product line but is just blah.
FWD Appliance.

[Drew Dowdell]

There is one very important distinction with the battery; this is the first Hydrogen Fuel Cell that offers regenerative braking.

[David]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

There is one very important distinction with the battery; this is the first Hydrogen Fuel Cell that offers regenerative braking.

That is a cool to know feature, sadly I doubt it will make much of a difference.

At least Honda had the brains to know that customers still want Android Auto and Apple Carplay. That is a smart move for them.

[smk4565]

Total waste of time and money to develop this.  There is no Hydrogen network and people aren't ever going to buy Hydrogen power cars.  The only case a Hydrogen fuel cell may work is on class 8 semi trucks in a fleet operator where the home base could have a hydrogen refueling area or a sea port or shipping port where the trucks only run in that port and you can refuel in the same port.  And in either case, Honda isn't Freightliner.

[Drew Dowdell]

18 hours ago, smk4565 said:

Total waste of time and money to develop this.  There is no Hydrogen network and people aren't ever going to buy Hydrogen power cars.  The only case a Hydrogen fuel cell may work is on class 8 semi trucks in a fleet operator where the home base could have a hydrogen refueling area or a sea port or shipping port where the trucks only run in that port and you can refuel in the same port.  And in either case, Honda isn't Freightliner.

Right on all points, though Honda is working on a version of this for semi-trucks.

The only reason companies are pursuing this right now is because there are federal research grants for it.  It may be a waste of money if a hydrogen vehicle is the goal, but it should provide some R&D dollars for all of the components south of the fuel-cell stack..... which is all usable in EVs. 

The speed at which Honda could swap out the H2 containment and the fuel-cell stack to replace it with some batteries with real range is probably measured in weeks if it wasn't designed with that in mind in the first place.  Tada! CR-V EV! 

[surreal1272]

Money well spent on hydrogen Honda. Just ask Toyota, who merely has to bribe folks to buy theirs lol.

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/toyota-wants-hydrogen-succeed-bad-210720557.html#:~:text=If you hurry%2C you can,the car off its hands.