Honda begins Ohio production of nation’s first plug-in hydrogen fuel cell vehicle
Honda says the vehicle is the only fuel cell electric vehicle made in America, as well as the first production hydrogen vehicle of that type in the United States to combine a new U.S.-made fuel cell system with plug-in EV charging capability.
The vehicle received a 270-mile EPA driving range rating, combining the fuel cell system with plug-in charging to provide up to 29 miles of EV driving, the automaker said Wednesday.
“The Performance Manufacturing Center was conceived as a small volume manufacturing facility with a focus on craftsmanship, and I’m proud of how our production technicians leveraged their experience building the Acura NSX to take on the challenge of making this all-new Honda CR-V e:FCEV,” Patrick McIntyre, lead of the manufacturing center, said in a statement. “Producing a zero-emission fuel cell electric vehicle is one more step toward Honda’s global goal of achieving carbon neutrality for our products and operations.”
Honda’s electric vehicle strategy has become increasingly important, particularly in Ohio.
Honda is updating assembly plants in Marysville, East Liberty and Anna for production of electric vehicles (EVs). The automaker is also building a plant for the production of EV batteries in Fayette County.
The Jeffersonville plant is expected to employ about 2,200 people. It is an approximately 50-minute drive southeast of Dayton and about 40 minutes south of Springfield.
In all, Honda expects to invest more than $4 billion total into its EV effort.
In addition to producing the Honda CR-V e:FCEV in America, the fuel cell system that powers it is also made in the U.S. at Fuel Cell System Manufacturing LLC, in Brownstown, Mich., the joint venture production facility established by Honda and General Motors (GM), Honda said.
The new fuel cell system was co-developed by Honda and GM, achieving what Honda says is higher efficiency, with durability performance doubled and cost reduced by two-thirds compared to the previous fuel cell system in the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell.
