Honda CR-V to get a hydrogen fuel cell EV variant in 2024

Only a few automakers worldwide are working on hydrogen fuel cell technology, and Honda is one of them. The Japanese automaker is readying an FCEV model based on the Honda CR-V crossover, which will arrive in the market in 2024. The automaker has revealed that the car would be built at its Performance Manufacturing Centre in Ohio, where Honda makes its race cars.

Honda claims that this FCEV would help the automaker achieve its goal of battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) accounting for 100 per cent of its global vehicle sales by 2040. The automaker's vice president of auto planning and strategy, Gary Robinson, has said that the car brand is accelerating its plan to produce battery-powered electric vehicles in the US. "We also will begin low volume production of fuel cell electric vehicles there to further explore their great potential as part of a sustainable transportation future," he said.

Honda's tryst with the fuel cell electric vehicle is nothing new. The automaker launched its first commercially available hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in 2022 in the form of the FCX, which paved the way for Clarity in 2017. However, Honda discontinued producing the model in 2021. But that didn't bar the automaker from manufacturing more advanced FCEVs.

Besides developing an FCEV version of the CR-V crossover, Toyota is also exploring making an FCEV Corolla. The redesigned Prius that broke cover a few days back is also expected to receive a similar fuel cell electric powertrain.

Interestingly, Honda is not the only automaker to continue exploring hydrogen fuel cell technology. In October 2022, BMW chairman Oliver Zipse said hydrogen would be the exciting thing to drive. The German car brand has been mulling the plan to launch a viable hydrogen car soon.