Honda Officially Starts Production Of Hydrogen Fuel Cell CR-V In The US

The first production of hydrogen fuel cell car Honda CR-V e:FCEV in the US. (Doc. Honda Global)

JAKARTA - Honda has officially started production from a CR-V:FCEV fuel cell car in the United States (A), to be precise at the Performance Manufacturing Center, Ohio. Currently, the car is the only fuel cell vehicle produced in Uncle Sam's country.

"Producing non-emissional fuel cell electric vehicles is one more step towards Honda's global goal of achieving carbon neutrality for our products and operations," said Lead of Performance Manufacturing Center Patrick McIntyre, quoted from the manufacturer's official website, Friday, June 7.

Technicians from the plant designed several components and new production processes to transition ICE-engined cars to hydrogen fuel cells. Please note, the facility has previously produced the Acura NSX model and is now assembling CR-V e:FCEV.

PMC technicians carry out several new assembly processes specifically for producing vehicles powered by fuel cell systems and plug-in EV batteries, which require multiple connections for two vehicle resources and a Power Supply Connector that can provide power power for a wide range of external devices.

In addition, the transition in assembling CR-V e:FCEV requires a thorough change to the welding division, starting from a high-grade automatic welding system created for the aluminum space frame to a multi-material unibody construction.

The production process in the car painting system is also different. Body CR-V e:FCEV, which is made entirely of larger and heavier steel, requires the process of implementing different corrosion protections compared to Acura NSX, which is made entirely from aluminum and smaller.

This SUV is powered by a single electric motor powered by 174 dk and 311 Nm torque. This car offers a sporty and fun driving experience with four driving modes: Normal, Eco, Sport, and Snow. Honda has also optimized the structure and suspension of CR-V e:FCEV to provide responsive and convenient control.

Meanwhile, this 5-passenger compact SUV has a range of up to 435 km by EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) standards and is capable of traveling up to 46 km in pure electric mode, and offers easy hydrogen charging quickly for long trips.

The model is also in line with the vision of manufacturers who want to achieve carbon neutrality in all levels of company products and activities by 2050.