Honda Unveils First Hydrogen-Powered Shopper Car in US

The primary hydrogen gasoline cell shopper car for America was introduced Tuesday by Honda.

With a reputation that doesn’t fairly roll off the tongue, the CR-V e:FCEV combines a hydrogen gasoline cell system with plug-in charging functionality and has an EPA driving vary score of 270 miles.

Honda said the autos can be accessible for buyer leasing in California beginning later this 12 months and expects preliminary gross sales of two,000 items yearly.

Co-developed with Common Motors, Honda stated the CR-V e:FCEV’s new gasoline cell system, made in Michigan, affords improved sturdiness, larger effectivity, and decrease value in comparison with Honda’s previous-generation gasoline cell system.

The brand new car, produced in Ohio, features a 110-volt outlet that delivers 1,500 watts of juice for powering gadgets comparable to small dwelling home equipment, moveable air conditioners, energy instruments, and tenting tools.

Cutaway view of the 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV inside elements

Honda additionally said it has doubled the sturdiness of its gasoline cell system by making use of corrosion-resistant supplies and managed suppression of decay, in addition to enhancing the low-temperature efficiency of the system.

Infrastructure Problem

“It’s fascinating to see Honda re-entering the market, having canceled its Readability in 2021 resulting from poor gross sales. It exhibits there may be nonetheless definitely curiosity within the expertise,” stated Ramsy John, enterprise improvement supervisor at IDTechEx, a world market analysis agency.

“One of many foremost limitations to gasoline cell autos is the better upfront value,” he instructed TechNewsWorld. “The announcement doesn’t state an estimated worth for the car however does state they’ve managed to cut back the gasoline cell value by two-thirds in comparison with the earlier Readability, which may support in seeing the fee develop into similar to a battery electrical car.”

“Nonetheless,” he continued, “given the vary is basically much like many battery electrical automobiles at this time, and EV charging infrastructure is a lot extra broadly developed, it may nonetheless be a problem for gasoline cell automobiles to see market success.”

Fueling infrastructure has been a formidable barrier to the adoption of each gasoline cell and battery-electric autos (BEVs).

“Gasoline cells and EVs share the identical problem by way of an insufficient fueling infrastructure, however there are orders of magnitude extra EV charging factors than hydrogen stations,” stated Edward Sanchez, a senior analyst within the automotive follow at TechInsights, a world expertise intelligence firm.

He defined that there are an estimated 41,000 publicly accessible charging factors in California, in comparison with 55 hydrogen fueling stations within the state, a 3rd of that are in Los Angeles County alone. Nationally, he continued, there are roughly 140,000 public charging factors and 59 hydrogen fueling stations, virtually all of that are in California.

2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV at a hydrogen refueling station

“Plus, the price of constructing out a hydrogen fueling infrastructure is far larger than putting in EV charging factors, and on a chemical/molecular stage, hydrogen is difficult to retailer and distribute,” Sanchez instructed TechNewsWorld.

“The largest hurdle stays fueling infrastructure,” he stated. “That is additionally a difficulty with EVs, however the largest distinction is EV charging stations will be arrange comparatively rapidly and at comparatively low value in comparison with hydrogen, which requires far more costly {hardware} and infrastructure.”

“The autos themselves have confirmed dependable for probably the most half,” he added. “Fueling infrastructure is hydrogen gasoline cells’ largest Achilles’ heel.”

Not a Mass Market Merchandise

“Hydrogen-powered automobiles, whether or not gasoline cell or combustion, have by no means caught on within the mainstream, particularly within the U.S., largely resulting from challenges with the fueling infrastructure, which has had main points in reliability and uptime,” Sanchez noticed.

Markets aren’t driving adoption in different nations, both. “The Japanese OEMs’ curiosity in hydrogen has been largely pushed by incentives and encouragement by the Japanese authorities,” Sanchez stated.

“The CRV is probably going greatest seen as an illustration that the tech works and to work out any kinks within the gasoline cell and associated ecosystem earlier than far more costly platforms are requested to make use of it. A hydrogen-powered FCEV [fuel cell electric vehicle] heavy truck will value upwards of $800,000 earlier than subsidies,” added Robin Gaster, a non-resident senior fellow on the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, a analysis and public coverage group in Washington, D.C.

“Preliminary gross sales at 2,000 don’t recommend any intention to make this a mass-market product, even when that is solely the first-year goal,” he instructed TechNewsWorld.

John famous that battery electrical automobiles are deployed in a lot bigger numbers and are already turning into broadly accepted. He identified that in 2023, over 9.6 million battery electrical automobiles had been bought throughout China, Europe, and the U.S., 32% greater than the earlier 12 months. As compared, gross sales of gasoline cell automobiles had been solely round 8,500 globally, almost half of the 12 months earlier than.

“Hydrogen-powered car gross sales have collapsed in South Korea — two had been bought in January — regardless of large subsidies, and there’s no traction in California both,” contended Gaster.

“Bluntly,” he continued, “BEVs have zoomed previous hydrogen as the popular clear energy possibility for gentle autos. They’ll quickly be out of sight, and producers will change to heavy autos, the place hydrogen gained’t win both, although the race is barely nearer.”

Carry on Truckin’

Gasoline cell programs could also be higher fitted to heavier autos, particularly long-haul vehicles, maintained Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst for e-mobility at Guidehouse Insights, a market intelligence firm in Detroit.

“The quantity of battery that you just want for a long-haul truck is prohibitive due to the time it takes to cost it,” he instructed TechNewsWorld. In contrast, the time to refuel a gasoline cell is on par with the time it takes to fill a fuel tank.

Lengthy-haul vehicles additionally journey fastened routes, enabling higher management of infrastructure prices.

“Customers need to drive wherever they need and wish infrastructure in all places,” Abuelsamid stated. “For long-haul trucking, you actually solely have to construct fueling stations alongside main routes so you may have fewer hydrogen stations to assist that use case.”

However even the heavy-truck window could also be closing quick on FCEVs. “The MCS [Megawatt Charging System] protocol in improvement with CharIN [Charging Interface Initiative] is aiming to carry the time to recharge to close parity with diesel or gasoline cells,” Sanchez stated.

“If this premise is confirmed in the true world, and ample heavy truck charging infrastructure will be constructed that might successfully cowl nationwide trucking routes, this might probably deal a deadly blow to hydrogen within the heavy truck market going ahead.”

2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV Key Specs and Options

Editor’s Be aware: The pictures featured on this article are credited to Honda.