Honda Begins U.S.-Made Market-Ready Fuel Cell

Honda starts production of its hydrogen fuel-cell plug-in hybrid vehicle advertised as the first market-ready vehicle of its kind to be made in the U.S.

Its Honda CR-V e:FCEV is now rolling off the assembly line at the automaker's Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Ohio. The vehicle claims to be the first model to feature a U.S.-made fuel-cell system with plug-in electric charging capability.

The compact crossover boasts a 270-mile (435-km) EPA driving range rating, combining the fuel-cell system with plug-in charging to provide up to 29 miles (47 km) of electric-only range for urban driving.

Its fuel-cell system is made at Fuel-Cell System Mfg., in Brownstown, MI, a joint venture production facility established by Honda and General Motors.  It claims higher efficiency and increased refinement, with durability performance doubled and cost reduced by two-thirds compared to the previous fuel-cell system in the Honda Clarity Fuel-Cell.

The powertrain features include a subassembly of two hydrogen tanks containing compressed hydrogen at 10,000 psi via a new onsite station used to fill the CR-V e:FCEV. The chassis is an aluminum spaceframe welded to a multi-material unibody construction including a thicker steel body.

Patrick McIntyre, lead of PMC, says: “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.”