Honda is set to launch the first hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric CR-V in 2024 and it is getting a little help.
The automaker has revealed that the Ohio-built SUV will use technology developed in partnership with General Motors.
Fuel cells combine hydrogen stored in tanks with atmospheric oxygen through a catalyst to create water, the process generating electricity and H2O vapor.
The power systems are lighter than battery packs and can be refueled as quickly as a gasoline-powered vehicle.
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Honda's new fuel cell is being developed in partnership with General Motors. (Honda)
Both automakers have been experimenting with the technology separately, with Honda briefly selling a fuel cell-powered Clarity car that was hamstrung by high costs and a lack of public fueling infrastructure outside of California, where it was sold.
According to Honda, the next-generation system will cut production costs to one-third of what they are now and by half again in the coming years.
The Clarity used a Honda-designed fuel cell. (Honda)
Honda is exploring using the technology in cars, commercial vehicles, stationary power systems and even in space. The ramp-up to commercialization will be slow, however.
Honda only expects to build 2,000 of the CR-Vs in 2025 and up to 60,000 fuel cell vehicles annually in 2030, but sees the output growing to hundreds of thousands by the middle of the next decade.
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Several other automakers are keen on both hydrogen combustion and fuel cell technology as an alternative to battery-power, including Toyota and Hyundai, which both currently offer low-volume models for sale.
The Honda Prologue is an upcoming electric SUV that's designed on GM's Ultium platform. (Honda)
Honda will also start selling the battery-powered Prologue SUV in 2024, which will be built in the U.S. the GM Ultium electric car platform that underpins the Cadillac Lyriq today.
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Pricing and other specifications for the fuel cell CR-V and Prologue have not yet been announced.