n n n ‘. concat(e. i18n. t(“search. voice. recognition_retry”),’n
Like the battery-electric cars of 20 years ago, hydrogen-powered mobile cars suffer from the age-old chicken-and-egg problem. No one can buy a fuel-powered mobile vehicle until the supporting infrastructure is in place, but it’s tricky to invest in. infrastructure when no one owns a mobile fuel vehicle.
Honda says it’s betting the long haul with a noble goal in mind. The company says it will only sell zero-emission cars until 2040 with a fleet of battery-powered and fuel-powered mobile electric vehicles. Honda intends to contribute more to this plan by installing a net-zero carbon emissions company, for all its products and facilities, through 2050.
To achieve this, Honda is investing in the egg and the bird.
The egg is the new 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV, a hydrogen-fueled mobile vehicle that I’ve spent all day driving and will soon be available to rent in California. As far-fetched as it may seem to launch a hydrogen fuel mobile vehicle in a country with little to no infrastructure, Honda has hedged its bet with this specific egg.
Chicken is Honda’s strategy with hydrogen.
Honda envisions four methods for deploying the second-generation hydrogen fuel mobile: in consumer and advertising fuel mobile vehicles, in desktop power plants, and in construction machinery. The latter two require electrical power for long periods of time, which in theory increases the need for hydrogen and thus fosters greater infrastructure.
“We’re doing this to advance the hydrogen economy, because someone was tasked with doing it,” said Jay Joseph, Honda’s vice president of sustainability and business progression, referring to the company’s expansive plan.
The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV is just one part of this hydrogen pie. The company is also testing other fuel programs. It uses a 576 kW hydrogen generator as a backup to the grid-powered and solar-powered data center at Honda’s headquarters in Torrance, California. Honda is also a Class 8 mobile fuel semi-trailer as a proof of concept here at the US.
Image credits: Honda
Honda is not new to the game of hydrogen fuel mobile devices. The company first launched a fuel-powered mobile car to the world in 2003 with the fleet-only FCX. A few years later, we had the FCX Clarity and finally, in 2016, the Clarity Fuel Cell. Brought.
Here we are, 8 years later, and Honda is installing a hydrogen-fueled mobile in its CR-V crossover, but with a twist.
The e:FCEV can run solely on hydrogen, but it also has a 17. 7 kWh battery that provides an all-electric range of 47 kilometers. Yes, this CR-V is a plug-in hybrid that replaces the internal combustion engine with a hydrogen fuel cell. .
I mean, listen. . . Honda is stupid. You know that hydrogen materials are, let’s say, volatile. California’s largest public hydrogen supplier, True Zero, recently increased its costs by 20%. Shell has just shut down its hydrogen stations and of the remaining 50 or so stations, many are plagued by unforeseen breakdowns or total fuel shortages.
Adding this output as a backup not only relieves some of the strain of refueling, but it’s also more effective for the type of driving that many fueled mobile home owners do. Honda learned that owners of mobile homes with Clarity fuel were driving very short distances, five or ten miles at a time. At one time, a hydrogen-fueled mobile phone wasn’t the most effective for fast travel. Using electrons from a small battery makes sense.
The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV is equipped with an electric motor that produces 174 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, which is lower than the popular hybrid model. You can drive the car in electric-only or hybrid-only mode. allowing hydrogen to kick in when more torque is required. Drivers can also save the battery juice for later use or rate the battery while traveling.
On a trip to Honda HQ, I spent my time in hybrid or automatic mode and it worked great.
It is possibly a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, but it drives like any other electric vehicle. There are modes for Econ, Normal, Snow and Sport. I immediately replaced it with the latter, but I didn’t feel any noticeable difference in steering or throttle response. However, sport mode has taken over my favorite regenerative braking settings. In general mode, the brakes defaulted to friction brakes every time they decelerated, which is annoying. I need my free electrons, damn it!
When everything is charged and the hydrogen tank is full, the CR-V has a range of 270 miles. Honda says the small battery can be rated in less than two hours on a Level 2 tester, but it will take about 10 hours on a popular family outlet. And yes, you can turn off the power in your car if you need to. So, in the event of a power outage, you’ll still have to run small appliances or rate your Honda Motocompact electric scooter.
The good news here is that Honda has announced that it will subsidize hydrogen for the CR-V e:FCEV. While the company has yet to release details, it has given owners of the Clarity Fuel Cell $15,000, or 36 months of free fuel. I wouldn’t expect this to carry over to the hydrogen crossover.
The CR-V’s carbon-fiber hydrogen tank can hold a total of 4. 3 kilograms of gasoline. These hydrogen atoms need to coexist with the incoming oxygen atoms. For example, they love each other with a hobby that can only be noticed in the canopy. of romantic novels of debauchery. When they get together, it’s hot, baby, hot. So hot that electrons are emitted. They come out and say, “Hey, let’s get on with this party!”
They drive to the Electric Motor nightclub and dance, revving the engine, which drives the CR-V’s wheels and takes you to work, the store, or anywhere you pass.
In other words, a fuel mobile produces force in a chemical reaction and this force is used to drive an electric motor.
The Honda CR-V e:FCEV is on the left, while the Honda CR-V Hybrid is on the right. Image credits: Emme Hall
The e:FCEV looks a lot like the popular CR-V, but those with watchful eyes will notice a few key differences. The hydrogen-powered car has unique front and rear fascias, larger front overhangs, and a wider grille opening.
I like the clear lenses on the e:FCEV’s taillights, as well as the 18-inch wheels in gloss black. This glossy black is also uncovered in the rear-view mirrors.
Inside there is a gear selector with a button, the only gears to choose from are Drive and Reverse. All fabrics are eco-friendly, with simulated leather seats and steering wheel. The mobile fuel-powered CR-V features a 10. 2-inch virtual gauge organization. that contains all the force source data your nerdy brain probably needs.
Although the total passenger volume remains the same, the shipping area is adversely affected by the hydrogen tank. Honda has made the rear seating area a little more usable with a two-tier layout with a movable panel. The engineer I spoke to told me that he allowed him to bring in a very giant Costco pizza when it was placed in the highest position, which is frankly one of the most productive design inspirations I’ve ever heard. It also serves as a canopy to keep out the most beloved pieces. from the sight of thieves.
Image credits: Honda
The e:FCEV comes in a Touring version, without a sunroof. You can expect heated power front seats and a heated steering wheel, as well as wireless charging, USB-A and -C ports, and a 12-speaker Bose. sound system. The Honda Sensing set of motive power aids is here, as is a nine-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You’ll also have two color options: white or gray.
Currently, other people can only buy the Toyota Mirai and there are many things to like about the small hydrogen-fueled mobile vehicle. First of all, this is a sedan that will appeal to those who need something a little smaller. In addition, its diversity is approximately 400 miles. Mirai technicians traveling in the Los Angeles-San Francisco direction will be able to do so with a single tank of hydrogen. Those who test it on a CR-V will have to have the only hydrogen station in the direction, in the middle of farmland. and next to an airstrip. Hey, at least you can fill up the tank in less than five minutes.
The diversity might be enough to appeal to early adopters of the Toyota look (you can even buy a Mirai if you want), but the added perks of having a backup battery in the CR-V appeal to those who just need a little more. Ensuring diversity.
The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV will be available for rent in California this summer and single drivers will receive that coveted carpool lane tag. The company only plans to lease about three hundred of these hydrogen-powered vehicles, once again. It’s betting on the long term, betting that hydrogen will help it meet its net-zero goals for the next 25 years or so.