The whole world is obsessed with electric cars and batteries, but Honda doesn’t want to follow the trend and has decided to do just the opposite.
While other brands compete to see who launches the cheapest EV or the one with the most range, the Japanese have presented their plan to bet on hydrogen. And not as an experiment, but as a central part of their future strategy.
Their first big step has a name and surname: Honda CR-V e:FCEV 2025. It is a compact SUV that combines a hydrogen fuel cell and a plug-in battery. They promise 270 miles of range. But beyond the car itself, the important thing is that Honda never stands still!
Honda, a statement of intent
This CR-V does not come alone, Honda has made it clear that their idea is to create a whole hydrogen ecosystem, from fueling stations to refueling support. Their long-term vision is to sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2040 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
While other brands are only focused on selling, Honda talks about infrastructure, investment, and changing the landscape from the ground up.
Honda does not step off the hydrogen ship
The whole sector has turned to battery electric cars, and now Honda takes a different route. Not because they reject electrics, but because they believe it is not the only possible solution and want to explore their own path.
According to them, batteries have their limits: they do not always give the necessary power, they take time to charge, and they depend on scarce materials. Hydrogen, on the other hand, offers much faster refueling, more range, and can power entire fleets more efficiently.
What is special about the CR-V e:FCEV?
On a technical level, it has a front electric motor with 174 horsepower and 229 lb-ft of torque, a hydrogen fuel cell, but it also carries a 17.7 kWh battery that gives about 47 kilometers of fully electric range.
With the hydrogen tank full (about 4.3 kg), it can travel up to 270 miles. The battery charges in about two hours on a Level 2 outlet. And, as if that weren’t enough, it also has bidirectional charging. That is, you can use the car to power your house if the electricity goes out. Not bad, not bad at all!
A very bold move
While Toyota seems to have backtracked and other companies, like Shell, are closing hydrogen stations in California, Honda is doing just the opposite. Their plan starts with 300 units of the CR-V e:FCEV on lease, as an initial step to prove that this system makes sense and works.
If there are more hydrogen cars on the street, stations will start to be profitable. And when that happens, the biggest obstacle this technology currently has is eliminated.
And then? Batteries or hydrogen?
That is the big debate. Battery electrics are in the lead, that is obvious. But Honda insists that the whole future of mobility cannot be placed in the hands of lithium. Slow charging, limited ranges, and the environmental cost of extraction is too big and dangerous. For its part, hydrogen is not perfect. It is still expensive and there are barely any places to refuel. But if it can be integrated well into the sector, it can be a revolution. Honda is not looking to replace electrics, only to offer more alternatives.
Honda, on its own path
The CR-V e:FCEV 2025 is the first step of a strategy that goes beyond launching a new car.
Will it work? Only time will tell. But if anyone can convince the market that hydrogen is not just a whim, it is a brand like Honda. And they are trying seriously.