Dive Brief:
- Honda Motor Co. announced leasing options and pricing for its new 2025 CR-V fuel cell electric vehicle, the automaker announced in a June 26 press release. The lease options include up to a $30,000 credit to help offset the costs of hydrogen refilling.
- The fuel cell version of the CR-V, dubbed the “e:FCEV”, will be offered for lease only to customers in California starting July 9. No purchase option will be available.
- The CR-V e:FCEV is the first to use the second-generation Honda fuel cell module, which was co-developed with General Motors and offers improved durability, better efficiency and refinement, according to Honda.
Dive Insight:
FCEVs operate like conventional electric vehicles using electric drive motors for propulsion, but they generate electricity from a hydrogen-powered fuel cell instead of relying on a large, heavy battery pack.
The hydrogen is stored in pressurized tanks and the vehicle’s range is determined by the amount of hydrogen that can be stored onboard. Estimated power output from Honda's updated fuel cell is 92.2 kilowatt-hours.
The fuel cell CR-V has an EPA estimated driving range of 270 miles. It also supports plug-in charging capability and can provide up to 29 miles of range on battery power alone for short trips. Like conventional EVs, the vehicle produces zero emissions.
According to the Department of Energy, most FCEVs use the onboard battery to recapture braking energy, providing extra power during acceleration. It also smoothes out fuel cell power delivery, even turning it off during low power needs. The CR-V e:FCEV has a 17.7 kWh battery pack, much smaller than a typical EV.
The five-passenger CR-V e:FCEV is being built at Honda's Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio. It's the only fuel cell electric passenger vehicle assembled in America, using domestic and globally-sourced parts, according to Honda.
Leasing for the CR-V e:FCEV is available at 12 approved Honda dealerships in select California markets — six dealers are located in Los Angeles and Orange County in Southern California, five are in the San Francisco Bay area and one is in the Sacramento area.
The three monthly lease terms for the CR-V e:FCEV are based on a MSRP of $50,000, according to Honda. The automaker expects that most customers will opt for the three-year/36,000-mile lease for $459 per month that includes the $15,000 hydrogen refueling credit, which will be divided into yearly allotments.
Honda is also offering a two-year lease at $489 a month and a six-year lease for $389 a month.
On the two-year lease, Honda is offering a 30,000 per year mileage allowance along with a $25,000 hydrogen refilling credit. However, the mileage allowance for the three- and six-year leases are more in line with the industry standard of 12,000 miles a year.
The lease packages also include up to 21 days of access to a rental vehicle from Avis while in California, 24/7 roadside assistance, and eligibility to receive California's Clean Air Vehicle decal to allow access to single-occupant HOV lanes on many of the state’s highways.
As of May 15, the state has 54 hydrogen refueling stations open for light-duty vehicles, a majority of which, 26, are located in Los Angeles county, according to the California Energy Commission.
Although EV adoption is slowly climbing in the U.S., fuel cell powered vehicles account for just a fraction of all vehicles sold. As of April 15, the total number of FCEVs sold or leased in the U.S. since January 2012 was 18,180, according to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership.
In addition to the new Honda CR-V e:FCEV, the Toyota Mirai sedan and the Hyundai Nexo compact crossover are the only other fuel cell vehicles currently available to buy or lease in the U.S.
