2025 Honda CR-V Fuel Cell Has an EPA-Estimated 270 Miles of Range
The 2025 Honda CR-V Fuel Cell debuts with an EPA-estimated 270 miles of driving range.
The compact SUV has a hydrogen powertrain with plug-in capability that Honda says has a peak output of 174 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque.
The CR-V Fuel Cell also has a battery pack that the EPA estimates will provide 29 miles of EV range; the hydrogen CR-V can be leased in California later this year.
The Honda CR-V is currently our favorite compact SUV, with the 2024 model earning a 10Best award. Its powertrains include a standard 190-hp 1.5-liter turbo four or an optional 204-hp hybrid configuration. For 2025, the CR-V adds a third powertrain—a hydrogen fuel-cell system with plug-in capability.
Hydrogen-Powered Honda CR-V
The new CR-V, which Honda refers to as the e:FCEV, features the company's second-generation fuel-cell module under the hood where a conventional engine typically lives. A pair of tanks situated under the back seat and rear cargo floor send compressed hydrogen gas to the fuel-cell unit that converts it to electricity that powers the electric motor. Additionally, there's a 17.7-kWh battery in the floor that provides extra juice.
Honda says the CR-V Fuel Cell has a peak output of 174 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque. Although no performance estimates are mentioned, the EPA estimates the hydrogen-fueled SUV has 270 miles of driving range. Its government MPGe ratings are 61 city, 52 highway, and 57 combined. The EPA also estimates it can travel 29 miles on electricity alone.
To accommodate the addition of the fuel-cell system, Honda says it increased the CR-V's rear lateral rigidity and rear torsional rigidity by 10 and 9 percent, respectively. Its front and rear suspension is also revised with different anti-roll bars, dampers, and springs. Every CR-V Fuel Cell rolls on 18-inch wheels wrapped with 235/60R-18 tires. The rest of the hydrogen model's dimensions are virtually identical to the hybrid and nonhybrid versions, expect it is 2.8 inches longer overall.
CR-V's Fuel-Cell Face
Visually, the 2025 Honda CR-V Fuel Cell has a different face than its siblings. All the body panels ahead of the A-pillar are different, with new headlights sitting above a large lower grille opening with separate air intakes on either side. Honda says it also optimized various aero bits and tweaked the CR-V's rear liftgate to go along with white elements in the vertical taillights.
Inside, the CR-V Fuel Cell doesn't look much different compared with its counterparts. There's a new push-button shifter on the center console, and there's obviously less space in the cargo area due to the hydrogen tanks. Honda hasn't released cargo volume or rear-seat passenger space, so we don't know how much that space is affected.
Every hydrogen-powered CR-V is a Touring trim, so it comes with a host of standard features. The list includes a digital gauge cluster, a 9.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12-speaker Bose stereo, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, and Honda Sensing (a suite of driver-assistance tech).
While the more traditional 2025 Honda CR-V models will be available all over the country, the fuel-cell version will only be offered in California as a lease sometime later this year. The hydrogen-powered CR-V is being built in Marysville, Ohio, at Honda's Performance Manufacturing Center. Meanwhile, its fuel-cell module is built at a facility in Brownstown, Michigan, as part of a partnership with General Motors.
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