Hydrogen is a chemical element that creates energy on demand. In the automotive industry, it is studied for the development of fuel cells or the creation of synthetic fuels. This alternative to fossil fuels will be part of the catalog of Honda with the creation of a CR-V hydrogen fuel cell that will be built in 2024 in the United States.
You should know that a hydrogen vehicle is an electric vehicle, the creation of current is done via a chemical reaction in a hydrogen cell, instead of the reserve of electric current being stored in a battery as is the case with conventional electric vehicles.
A bionic Honda CR-V with hydrogen and equipped with a lithium-ion battery
The appearance of this new hydrogen fuel cell CR-V will not be very different from the completely new generation presented this year. Along with the front and rear lights that could be revised, the electrified CR-V will have different badging and option packages than the fossil fuel versions now on our roads.
The most important element resides under the hood of the vehicle. The utility will incorporate hydrogen fuel cell technology to generate electricity, but also a lithium-ion battery. This announcement seems very logical given the scarcity of hydrogen refueling stations on our territory. The battery will be rechargeable through a standard or fast charging station. It’s kind of like the best of both worlds, the ability to fill hydrogen tanks very quickly or use battery power when refueling is impossible!
According to preliminary information, the hydrogen fuel cell CR-V could power 2 engines configured like this: one engine in the front, another in the back, a floor of batteries and the hydrogen tanks in the back.
Well-developed technology at Honda and other manufacturers
Honda has been developing hydrogen technology for several years. In California, motorists were able to obtain the Honda Clarity with a hydrogen combustion cell from 2017 to 2020. Some models have also been tested in government fleets, but no mass production has been done in our market.
In return, Toyota markets a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle on our territory, the Mirai. This fuel cell luxury sedan is currently offered in the catalog. Although the product is well built and has a series of advantages, the very shy sales of the electric sedan come directly from refueling. In Quebec, only one hydrogen refueling station is active. In addition to Toyota, manufacturers such as BMW and Hyundai are working on the marketing of models powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.
Honda plans to invest $14 million in the creation of refueling networks in California. Toyota and other manufacturers are also investing in the creation of hydrogen infrastructure in the United States. With the confirmation of a hydrogen fuel cell CR-V, the seriousness of manufacturers in developing a hydrogen fueling network, this technology seems to be quietly becoming a more serious alternative in the future of the automobile.
Many elements remain to be confirmed concerning the Honda CR-V with hydrogen fuel cell, it will be necessary to be on the lookout for the next communications of the group. Built in the United States in 2024, the electrified Honda CR-V could certainly be a great success here. The hybrid version arrived on our market this year, let’s follow the evolution of this announcement to confirm if the hydrogen model will indeed be sold in Canada.
