Honda will launch a version of its popular CR-V compact crossover powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, the automaker announced on Wednesday.
The hydrogen-powered CR-V will arrive in 2024 and will be built at the former Acura NSX supercar plant in Marysville, Ohio. NSX production ended at the specialty facility in early November.
In fuel cell vehicles, hydrogen is combined with oxygen within a fuel cell stack in a process known as electrolysis. The only by-products are electricity, which is used to power an electric propulsion system, and water, which is released into the atmosphere.
2024 Honda CR-V fuel cell vehicle, engine compartment
In the fuel cell CR-V, Honda will also install a battery that can charge the fuel cell. There will also be a plug so owners can charge the battery at home, which will help alleviate the lack of hydrogen fuel stations.
In that sense, the vehicle is like a traditional plug-in hybrid, but with a fuel cell instead of a gas engine. Mercedes-Benz had built a similar design for its fuel cell GLC class in limited numbers a few years ago.
Honda has had a handful of fuel cell vehicles in the past, the most recent being the Clarity Fuel Cell, which launched in 2017 and retired last year. Honda is also a member of the Hydrogen Council, an initiative representing automakers and energy companies that aims to promote hydrogen. It’s all part of Honda’s plan to sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2040.
