Honda celebrated the start of production of the all-new CR-V e:FCEV fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Ohio. It is the only FCEV made in America, as well as the first production1 hydrogen FCEV in the United States to combine an all-new U.S.-made fuel cell system with plug-in EV charging capability, according to the latest press information.
“A fun-to-drive compact CUV, the CR-V e:FCEV received a 270-mile EPA driving range rating, combining the fuel cell system with plug-in charging to provide up to 29 miles of EV driving around town with the flexibility of fast hydrogen refueling for longer trips,” Honda said.
“The Performance Manufacturing Center was conceived as a small volume manufacturing facility with a focus on craftsmanship, and I’m proud of how our production technicians leveraged their experience building the Acura NSX to take on the challenge of making this all-new Honda CR-V e:FCEV,” said Patrick McIntyre, lead of PMC. “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.”
In addition to producing the Honda CR-V e:FCEV in America, the next gen fuel cell system that powers it is also made in the U.S. at Fuel Cell System Manufacturing LLC, in Brownstown, Michigan – the joint venture production facility established by Honda and General Motors (GM). The new fuel cell system was co-developed by Honda and GM, achieving 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, according to Honda.
Production of the FCEV at the PMC also is laying the groundwork for production of battery-electric vehicles at the Honda EV Hub in Ohio from the standpoint of software for the Integrated Power Unit (IPU).
Video of these manufacturing innovations can be found here.
